Scientific name:
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Common name:
Silver cholla, golden cholla, Wiggin's cholla
Range:
East California, west Arizona, southeast Utah and south Nevada
Form:
Large, rather irregular clusters branching from a short central trunk
Habitat:
Arid deserts - rocky or sandy flats, hillsides, to pinyon-juniper woodlands up to 5,000 feet elevation
Flowers:
Yellow or greenish yellow, often with red at the tepal tips
Distribution map for cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Like other cholla from the hot deserts of Arizona and California, the green stems of cylindropuntia echinocarpa are covered by a very dense mass of sharp, easily-detached spines, here silver or golden in color, and the plant forms large clumps several feet high, centered on a short, thick trunk. Segments are at most 6 inches long and 1.5 inches thick, and have quite pronounced, elongated tubercles (their length about twice the width), each bearing around 15 spines - in the range nine to 22. Branches are spreading rather than ascending.
Flowers are produced in spring (between March and June); tepals are greenish-yellow, those on the outer margin often reddish at the tips. Anthers have green filaments, relatively thick, and yellow anthers. Stigma lobes are pale green to creamy white. Fruits, up to one inch long, are greenish-brown, very spiny, also with large tubercles.
The species resembles cylindropuntia bigelovii (teddy bear cholla), but that has spines of more equal length, less obvious tubercles, and more easily detached segments. Spines of the silver cholla are variable in length, with one noticeably longer than the rest (up to 1.2 inches). Another similar plant is cylindropuntia whipplei (whipple cholla), but this is found over a different area, further east and north.
Flowers are produced in spring (between March and June); tepals are greenish-yellow, those on the outer margin often reddish at the tips. Anthers have green filaments, relatively thick, and yellow anthers. Stigma lobes are pale green to creamy white. Fruits, up to one inch long, are greenish-brown, very spiny, also with large tubercles.
The species resembles cylindropuntia bigelovii (teddy bear cholla), but that has spines of more equal length, less obvious tubercles, and more easily detached segments. Spines of the silver cholla are variable in length, with one noticeably longer than the rest (up to 1.2 inches). Another similar plant is cylindropuntia whipplei (whipple cholla), but this is found over a different area, further east and north.
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