Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Cactaceae

Higher classification
  
Cylindropuntia

Order
  
Caryophyllales

Genus
  
Cylindropuntia

Rank
  
Species

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Cholla Web

Scientific name
  
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa

Similar
  
Cactus, Cylindropuntia, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, Cylindropuntia spinosior

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, commonly referred to as buckhorn cholla, is a cholla native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado Deserts of North America. Along with Cylindropuntia bigelovii (the "teddy bear" cholla), it is the most common cholla found in these deserts.

Contents

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa hasbrouckasueduimglibseinetCactaceaephotosC

Varieties

There are a number of recognized varieties include:

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa FileCylindropuntia acanthocarpa var coloradensis 9jpg Wikimedia

  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis — L.D. Benson; Colorado buckhorn cholla.
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ganderi — (C.B. Wolf) L.D. Benson
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major — Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ramosa — Peebles
  • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi — (Thornber & Bonker) L.D. Benson; Thornber's buckhorn cholla.

    • Ethnobotany

    Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa buckhorn cholla

  • Early spring was called ko’oak macat (the painful moon) by the Tohono O’odham because of scarce food supplies. During this season, they turned to cacti for food and pit-roasted thousands of calcium-rich cholla flower buds.
  • Today’s O’odham people still pit-roast or boil the cholla buds, which taste like asparagus tips.

    • Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Engelm amp JM Bigelow FM Knuth

    Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Buckhorn Cholla Buckhorn Cholla

    Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa FileCylindropuntiaacanthocarpa20080405JPG Wikimedia Commons

    References

    Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA