Cylindropuntia versicolor (Engelm. ex J.M. Coult.) F.M. Knuth
Staghorn cholla, morada cholla
Staghorn cholla (pronounced “koy-ya”) is found in the Sonoran Desert. Cylindropuntia means “cylindrical opuntia,” that is, cacti associated with the prickly pear family, but with round stem segments instead of Mickey Mouse ears. Versicolor refers to the astounding range of flower colors.
Plants: May appear in shrublike or treelike forms, branching profusely, reaching 6½′ (2 m) in height. The stem segments greenish purple to purple, and 1½–7 ⨉ ⅜–¾″ (4–18 ⨉ 1–2 cm). Tubercules (ropy bumps on stems) are 3 to 5 times longer than they are wide. There are 7-10 spines per group, ¼–⅝″ (6.3–15 mm) long, reddish in color.
Flowers: May be yellowish green, yellow, bronze, red, rose, or magenta.
Fruits: Yellow-green to red-purple, forming chains. Fruits are fleshy, with few or no spines, ¾–1½ ⨉ ⅜–¾″ (2–4 ⨉ 1–2 cm).
Habitats: Desert scrub, flats, washes, rocky hillsides, and canyons, at elevations of 1969–4265′ (600–1300 m).
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Staghorn cholla is similar to buckthorn cholla. |
The “chained” fruits are at top, center. A stem segment is at top, right. Remaining images are flowering joints. Britton, Nathaniel Lord, Rose, J. N., The Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family, Press of Gibson Brothers, 1919, p. Vol. I, Plate IX, Vol. I, Plate IX. 
Online References:
References:
Opuntia versicolor Engelm. ex J.M. Coult.
1/5/2026 · By US NPS photo 
| 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 | versicolor | Variously-colored |
Cylindropuntia versicolor description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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