Cylindropuntia

Cylindropuntia is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae), containing species commonly known as chollas (/ˈtʃɔɪəz/ CHOY-əz), native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. They are known for their barbed spines that tenaciously attach to skin, fur, and clothing. Stands of cholla are called cholla gardens. Individuals within these colonies often exhibit the same DNA, as they were formerly tubercles of an original plant.

Cholla
Cylindropuntia kleiniae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Opuntioideae
Tribe:	Cylindropuntieae
Genus:	Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth
Species
See text
Synonyms
Opuntia (Cylindropuntia) Engelm. Grusonia (Cylindropuntia) (Engelm.) G.D.Rowley

Taxonomy

Cylindropuntia was formerly treated as a subgenus of Opuntia, but have now been separated based on their cylindrical stems (Opuntia species have flattened stems) and the presence of papery epidermal sheaths on the spines (Opuntia has no sheaths).^[1] A few species of mat- or clump-forming opuntioid cacti are currently placed in the genus Grusonia. Collectively, opuntias, chollas, and related plants are sometimes called opuntiads.^[2]

The roughly 35 species of Cylindropuntia are native to the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico, and the West Indies. The Flora of North America recognizes 22 species.^[3] Some species have been introduced to South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru) and South Africa.^[3]

Species

As of July 2019^[update], Plants of the World Online accepts the following species:^[4]

Scientific name[a]	Common name	Picture
Cylindropuntia abyssi (Hester) Backeb.	Peach Springs cholla
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow	Buckhorn cholla
Cylindropuntia alcahes (F.A.C. Weber) F.M. Knuth	Clavellina cholla
Cylindropuntia anteojoensis (Pinkava) E.F. Anderson
Cylindropuntia arbuscula (Engelm.) F.M. Knuth	Arizona pencil cholla
Cylindropuntia bigelovii (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Teddy-bear cholla
Cylindropuntia californica (Torr. & A.Gray) F.M.Knuth	California cholla Snake cholla Cane cholla
Cylindropuntia calmalliana (J.M.Coult.) F.M.Knuth
Cylindropuntia caribaea (Britton & Rose) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia cedrosensis Rebman
Cylindropuntia cholla (F.A.C. Weber) F.M. Knuth	Chain-link cholla
Cylindropuntia chuckwallensis M.A.Baker & Cloud-H.
Cylindropuntia ciribe (Engelm. ex J.M.Coult.) F.M.Knuth
Cylindropuntia davisii (Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa (Engelm. & Bigelow) F.M.Knuth	Silver cholla Golden cholla Wiggins' cholla
Cylindropuntia fosbergii (C.B. Wolf) Rebman, M.A. Baker & Pinkava	Hoffmann's teddybear cholla Pink teddy-bear cholla Mason Valley cholla
Cylindropuntia fulgida Engelm.	Jumping cholla Hanging chain cholla
Cylindropuntia ganderi (C.B. Wolf) Rebman & Pinkav	Gander cholla Gander's buckhorn cholla
Cylindropuntia hystrix (Griseb.) Areces
Cylindropuntia imbricata Haw. (DC.)	Cane cholla Walking stick cholla Tree cholla
Cylindropuntia kleiniae (DC.) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis F.M.Knuth	Desert Christmas cholla Tasajillo
Cylindropuntia libertadensis Rebman
Cylindropuntia lindsayi (Rebman) Rebman
Cylindropuntia molesta (Brandegee) F.M.Knuth	Agujilla
Cylindropuntia multigeniculata (Clokey) Backeb.
Cylindropuntia munzii (C.B. Wolf) Backeb.
Cylindropuntia prolifera (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Coastal cholla
Cylindropuntia ramosissima (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Branched pencil cholla Diamond cholla
Cylindropuntia rosea (DC.) Backeb.
Cylindropuntia sanfelipensis (Rebman) Rebman
Cylindropuntia santamaria (E.M. Baxter) Rebman
Cylindropuntia spinosior (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth	Tasajo cholla
Cylindropuntia tesajo (Engelm. ex J.M. Coult.) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia thurberi (Engelm.) F.M. Knuth
Cylindropuntia tunicata (Lehm.) F.M.Knuth	Sheathed cholla
Cylindropuntia versicolor (Engelm. ex J.M. Coult.) F.M. Knuth	Staghorn cholla
Cylindropuntia waltoniorum Rebman
Cylindropuntia whipplei (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) F.M.Knuth	Rat-tail cholla[5]
Cylindropuntia wolfii (L.D. Benson) J. Rebman – unplaced name	Wolf's cholla

Hybrids

Some hybrids are also known:^[4]

• Cylindropuntia × antoniae P.V.Heath
• Cylindropuntia × campii (M.A.Baker & Pinkava) M.A.Baker & Pinkava
• Cylindropuntia × cardenche (Griffiths) F.M.Knuth
• Cylindropuntia × congesta (Griffiths) F.M.Knuth
• Cylindropuntia × deserta (Griffiths) Pinkava
• Cylindropuntia × grantiorum P.V.Heath
• Cylindropuntia × kelvinensis (V.E.Grant & K.A.Grant) P.V.Heath
• Cylindropuntia × neoarbuscula (Griffiths) F.M.Knuth
• Cylindropuntia × pallida (Rose) F.M.Knuth
• Cylindropuntia × tetracantha (Toumey) F.M.Knuth
• Cylindropuntia × viridiflora (Britton & Rose) F.M.Knuth
• Cylindropuntia × vivipara (Rose) F.M.Knuth

Cholla wood in pet trade

Dried, dead Cylindropuntia sections are called "cholla wood" and are popular in the pet trade. In aquariums they are immersed partly or entirely into the water for pets to swim through, and in terrariums and other terrestrial pet enclosures they are placed and propped up for climbing.

Notes

1. A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cylindropuntia.