Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow) F.M. Knuth
Buckhorn cholla
Buckthorn cholla (pronounced “koy-ya”) is a North American native, found in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado Deserts.
Plants: These plants may appear shrub-like, or take a shape more like a tree. They are 3–13′ (1–4 m) high. Stem segments, which can be green or purple, may be sparsely or densely branched. Each segment is 4–20″ long ⨉ ¾–1″ around (10–50 ⨉ 2–3 cm). The areoles—little bumps with the spines—are elliptical to round, and have a fuzz that is light-colored at first and darkens with age. Spines are in groups of 6-20 or more, white to gray, tipped with yellow, about ⅝″ (1.6 cm) long.
Flowers: Flowers may be yellow, pink, bronze, or brick red, and are ¾–1½″ (2–4 cm) long.
Fruits: Fruits are green, then tan, spiny, and inconspicuous.
Habitats: Grassland, scrubland, pinyon-juniper foothills up to 5000′ (1.5 km) elevation.
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Buckthorn cholla is similar to staghorn cholla. |
Online References:
References:
5/24/2009 · Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona 
| Parents | Unknown | Genus is not in the current taxonomy |
| Genus | Cylindropuntia | from the Greek kylindros, “a cylinder,” plus genus Opuntia, this is now the new genus of the so-called ‘true chollas’ |
| Species | acanthocarpa | With thorny fruits like those of Acanthus |
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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