Xerophyte

Trunk

7 to 15 cm in diameter very spiny at first and becoming more spiny each year for some time, but in age spineless and developing a smooth, brownish yellow bark.

Leaves

Present only on young growing stem segments, 1 per areole, succulent, conical and soon deciduous.

Seeds

Numerous, very small, often abortive, with a light tan, bony, aril-like structure covering the actual seed.

Description

Cylindropuntia chollaSN|10978]]SN|10978]] (Chain link cholla) is a spiny shrubby or tree-like cactus, 0.5 to 3 meters high, low and sprawling to erect and with distinct erect trunks. The top of plant often dense and broad with joints in almost horizontal whorls. In its native home Cylindropuntia chollaSN|10978]]SN|10978]] often takes on abnormal shapes, for the joints, which break off easily and many small dwarf plants are found everywhere about the larger plants. In this species, as in a few other opuntias, the fruits are quite proliferous, hanging on for a number of years and usually remaining green.

Cladodes

Pale, blue-green, often glaucous, easily detached, 6-11 cm long, 3-5.5 cm in diameter, with large broadly oval more or less compressed tubercles.

Flowers

Rather small, 3 cm broad, pale pink to deep purple with relatively few tepals. Stamens sensitive, the filaments close inward when touched, covering a visiting bee.

Glochids

The glochids ((small, readily detachable spines with tiny retrorse barbs) are numerous, inconspicuous, 1.5-4 mm long, dark yellow.

Spines

Usually numerous (5-16, on most areoles) sometimes absent, more or less porrect, ,20-45 mm long, orangish brownish with yellow tips covered with reduced to broad, loose-grey papery sheaths. Principal spines 3-7. Secondary spines 3-11. The spination is however quite variable and the plants rather sparsely to densely spiny.

Stem

Nore or less cylindrical with determinate, rhythmic (seasonal or annual), constricted growth increments resulting in individual stem segments or joints (cladodes).

Fruits

Green, highly succulent, globose, spineless, 17-40(-50) mm long, 15-35 mm in diameter, usually proliferous, often in long chains of 2-5(-12) individuals or forming compound clusters. They are, however, easily detached, and on falling to the ground, readily take root and start new colonies.

Areoles

Cream, ageing grey.