familyCactaceae
subfamilyCactaceae subfam. Opuntioideae
genusCylindropuntia
speciesCylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major
J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 32: 42. 1999.
Illustrated
Basionym: Opuntia echinocarpa var. major Engelmann Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 305. 1856
Synonyms: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ramosa (Peebles) Backeberg Opuntia acanthocarpa var. major (Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) L. D. Benson Opuntia acanthocarpa var. ramosa Peebles Opuntia echinocarpa var. robustior J. M. Coulter
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Mentioned on page 106, 109, 112, 114.
Shrubs, sprawling, with numerous branches, usually at obtuse angles. Stem segments green to dark green, 8–20(–31) cm; tubercles salient, moderately broad, 1.5–2.5 cm. Spines 14–18(–23) per areole, yellow to deep red-brown, aging gray, not baggy sheathed; major abaxial spines usually deflexed, spreading. Flowers: inner tepals yellow, bronze, or brick red. Fruits spiny; areoles 14–22(–26). 2n = 22.
Phenology: Flowering spring (Mar–Jun).
Habitat: Sonoran Desert, sandy flats, washes, rocky slopes
Elevation: 300-900 m
Distribution
Ariz., Mexico (Sonora).
Discussion
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major hybridizes with C. bigelovii (= C. campii M. A. Baker & Pinkava).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.