Cylindropuntia imbricata var. imbricata

Illustrated
Synonyms: Cactus cylindricus James Opuntia arborescens Engelmann Opuntia vexans Griffiths
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 113. Mentioned on page 107, 110, 112.

Trees, with short trunks, openly branched, 3 (–5) m. Stem segments 12–40 cm; tubercles widely spaced. Spines and sheaths usually tan to dirty white or ± yello, sometimes absent. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering spring–summer (May–Aug).
Habitat: Deserts, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, hills, plains
Elevation: (800-)1100-1800(-2200) m

Distribution

V4 213-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Colo., Kans., N.Mex., Okla., Tex., Mexico (Chihuahua), Mexico (Coahuila), Mexico (Durango), Mexico (Nuevo León), Mexico (San Luis Potosí), Mexico (Tamaulipas), Mexico (Zacatecas)

Discussion

A dominant cholla of the Chihuahuan Desert, Cylindropuntia imbricata var. imbricata is wide- ranging and variable in several characters; it is generally shorter and more spiny northward (there often referred to as Opuntia arborescens). The species appears to be spreading northeastward in Oklahoma and Kansas as a result of cattle ranching activities. In Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico, var. imbricata intergrades with C. spinosior. Northward, var. imbricata hybridizes with C. whipplei (= C. ×viridiflora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
cushionlike +
gray +  and tan +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
18 +  and 30 +
obdeltate +  and rhombic +
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Haworth) F. M. Knuth in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth +
Cereus imbricatush +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Ariz. +, Colo. +, Kans. +, N.Mex. +, Okla. +, Tex. +, Mexico (Chihuahua) +, Mexico (Coahuila) +, Mexico (Durango) +, Mexico (Nuevo León) +, Mexico (San Luis Potosí) +, Mexico (Tamaulipas) +  and Mexico (Zacatecas) +
(800-)1100-1800(-2200) m +
pink +  and magenta +
salverform +, cup-shaped +  and rotate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
not proliferating +
tuberculate +
obovoid +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
with low marginal ridge +  and smooth +
not protruding +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Deserts, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, hills, plains +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
deciduous +
flattened +  and conic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
succulent +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
tinged color +
sometimes covered by outgrowths of proximal portion of style base or of flower tube wall +  and open +
persistent +  and deciduous +
Flowering spring–summer (May–Aug). +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
yellow-tan +
2.5mm;4mm +
warped;subcircular;angled +
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
yellow-tipped +
smooth;slightly lumpy +
Illustrated +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
more or less +, usually tan +  and dirty white +
curved +  and straight +
deciduous +  and persistent +
not spreading +
conspicuous +
8 (?) +  and 15 (?) +
flattened +  and terete +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
subwhorled +  and whorled +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
cream +  and green +
light green basally or pink +  and red-magenta +
Cactus cylindricus +, Opuntia arborescens +  and Opuntia vexans +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Cylindropuntia imbricata var. imbricata +
Cylindropuntia imbricata +
variety +
dull +  and glossy +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br /> (500 cm5,000 mm <br />5 m <br />) +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
gray +  and black +