Xerophyte

Trunk

Cylindrical fleshy, usually very short (if any), becoming woody as it ages, strongly armed with thorns.

Seeds

Obovate, approx to 2.5 × 2 mm; girdle smooth, light tan coloured.

Description

Cylindropuntia tunicataSN|28226]]SN|28226]] is a very variable densely branched shrub, sometimes low and spreading from the base and forming broad clumps, at other times 50-60 cm high, with a more or less definite woody stem and numerous lateral branches. It has many sharp spines at each areole nearly obscuring stems.

Stem Segments

Pale green to green, easily detached, whorled or subwhorled, sometimes short and nearly globular to narrowly oblong, 5-25 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, with very prominent broad tubercles 2-3 cm.

Flowers

Yellow to yellowish green, to 3 cm long and in diameter. Inner tepals yellow to yellow-green, spatulate, obtuse 15-20 mm, apiculate. Filaments yellowish. Anthers yellow. Style green to reddish. stigma lobes yellow-green to green. Ovary often bearing long spines at the areoles, but usually naked.

Glochids

Pale yellow, in small adaxial tuft, 0.5-1.2 mm long.

Blooming Season

Flowering late spring.

Chromosome Number

2n = 22.

Spines

5-12, on most areoles, obscuring the stems, needle-like, spreading, larger ones 3-6 cm long and 2-4 mm in diameter; sheaths very loose fitting. Yellow to reddish covered with thin, white, yellow to tan persistent papery sheaths.

Fruits

Top shaped to club shaped, 25-50 mm long, 8-15 mm in diameter, yellow to yellow-green, often tinged red, mostly sterile, not proliferating, pulpy, usually spineless or sometimes weakly spined, tubercles evident subequal. Umbilicus 5-7 mm deep. Areoles 32-40.

Areoles

With yellow to tan wool, ageing grey, triangular approx 4.5-8 × 2.5-5 mm.