Cylindropuntia leptocaulis

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Cylindropuntia
Species:
C. leptocaulis
Binomial name
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Synonyms

Opuntia leptocaulis DC.
Opuntia frutescens Engelm.

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, the desert Christmas cactus, desert Christmas cholla, pencil cactus, or tasajillo, is a species of cholla cactus.

Description

The shrubby Cylindropuntia leptocaulis plants reach 0.5 to 1.8 m (1.6 to 5.9 ft) tall, reaching the extreme height when supported within desert trees. Branches are narrow, 3–5 mm across. Spines 0-1 (occasionally as many as 3) at each areole. Flowers open in the late afternoon and are pale yellow or greenish yellow, with occasional red tips.[1]

Distribution and habitat

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis is widely distributed in deserts, grasslands, chaparral, and woodlands in the Southwestern United States (specifically, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma) and several states in Northern Mexico.[2]

Use

The fruits are crushed and mixed with a beverage by the Apache, Chiricahua, and Mescalero to produce narcotic effects.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Edward F. (2001). The cactus family. Portland, Or: Timber Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-88192-498-9.
  2. ↑ "Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, Christmas Cactus, Southwest Desert Flora". southwestdesertflora.com. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  3. ↑ Moerman, Daniel (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-88192-453-4.
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