Xerophyte

Leaves

8 to 24 mm long, terete.

Seeds

Pale brown,2.5 to 3.5(-4) mm in diameter.

Description

The cane cholla or tree cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricataSN|8156]]SN|8156]]) is often conspicuous because of its shrubby or even tree-like size, its silhouette, and its long-lasting yellowish fruits. The above-ground part consists of of a number of succulent, cylindrical segments (joints) about 2-3 cm in diameter. These segments grow mostly end to end and possess areoles which contain glochids (very small, detachable barbed bristles) adjacent to the longer spines. Long spines possess papery detachable sheath. Leaves occur at the base of are-oles and are usually not seen on mature segments as they are shed early. A typical height is about 1 m, but exceptionally it can grow to 4.6 m with a "trunk" diameter of 25 cm. Flowers and fruit form within or near areoles on upper stem segments. Flowers vary through shades or dark pink and purple with a boss of yellow stamens and bright white stigmas, and is said to be a shy bloomer until it reaches 60 cm tall. This plant may live 20 years or more when well pleased with its environment. In addition to the typical species (var. imbricata), two varieties are recognized from West Texas

Note

Latin verb 'imbricere', to tile a roof. In botanical Latin refers to any regularly overlapping structure, and here refers to the overlapping tubercles of the joints. Imbricated (-stemmed) opuntia.

Flowers

The flowers are bowl-shaped, diurnal, purple or magenta, rarely rose-pink, borne at ends of branches, about 4 to 6 cm long, sometimes 8 to 9 cm broad. Ovary tuberculate, spineless, occasionally bearing a few bristles from some of the upper areoles. Perianth purple. Anthers yellow on purple filaments. Stigma pale yellow.

Glochids

About 1 mm long that can detach and stick in the skin.

Blooming Season

Flowers late spring and summer.

Spines

Present on most areoles, 8 to 30 not obscuring the stems, needle-like, some almost hairlike, silver to yellow, brown, or pink, 2 to 3 cm long, rounded or sometimes flattenedin cross section basally, spreading, straight or curved, very sharp, with the skin separating into a tan paper-like sheath during the first year of development.

Stem

Branched with a more or less definite cylindrical woody trunk up to 25 cm in diameter. Ultimate segments cylindrical, rope-like or somewhat club shaped, 8-40 cm long and 2 to 3.5(-5) cm in diameter, dark- to grey-green, strongly tuberculate; tubercles 2 to 2.5 cm long, flattened laterally lengthwise. The joints, unlike those of some other chollas, are hard to detach. They are plagiotropic, that is to say, that they grow in a star- or crown-like pattern at all angles to the upright (orthotropic) branches. They will droop in winter but recover quickly in spring.

Fruits

Naked, egg-shaped with a hollow at the wide end where the flower fell off, green to yellow, 2.5 to 4.4 cm long, 2-4 cm in diameter, strongly tuberculate like the stems or, when long persistent, smooth.

Areoles

Elliptical, subtended by a leaf in the depressions above the tubercles, with yellow to tan wool, ageing to back, containg small bristles (glochids) and spines.