Wildflower Photos #4b

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California Wildflowers #4b
Cholla Flowers In Anza-Borrego State Park

Table Of Cylindropuntia Species

More Cholla Images At Wildflowers 4c
Other Pages Of California Wildflowers

  1.   Jumping Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii)
  2.   Fosberg's Cholla (Cylindropuntia fosbergii)
  3.   Wolf's Cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii)
  4.   Gander's Cholla (Cylindropuntia ganderi)
          and Silver Cholla (C. echinocarpa)
  5.   Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa)
  6.   Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa)
  7.   Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa)
  8.   Pencil Cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima)

Key To Cylindopuntia In Flora of North America
Key To Chollas Of Anza-Borrego State Park

1. Jumping Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii)

Jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii). This species is clearly recognized by its densely spiny stem segments that are easily detached into your shoes or body appendages. The flowers have green filaments and the fruits are spineless.

2. Jumping and Fosberg's Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii and C. fosbergii)

Left. Jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) with the nest of a cactus wren in its upper branches. Right. C. fosbergii photographed along Hwy. S-2 near the road to Mountain Palm Springs. This species is taller and more branched than typical C. bigelovii. It was once classified as a hybrid between C. bigelovii and C. echinocarpa . In some older references it is listed as Opuntia bigelovii var. hoffmannii. It is listed as C. x fosbergii in the Jepson Manual 2nd Edition (2012).

Left. Cylindropuntia ganderi showing strict, ascending stem segments that are typically 10 to 26 cm long. Right. C. bigelovii with much shorter, spreading, densely-spiny stem segments.

3. Wolf's Cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii)

Wolf's cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii) photographed along Hwy S-2 in the southeastern part of Anza-Borrego State Park near the Imperial County line. The filaments are reddish-purple and the perianth segments are reddish-brown (bronze). Another similar species with reddish filaments is C. acanthocarpa var. coloradensis in southwestern Arizona.

4. Gander's and Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia ganderi and C. echinocarpa)

Left: Silver cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) photographed along Hwy S-2 near Agua Caliente Hot Springs. The major branches of this species tend to be spreading, compared with strictly ascending branches in C. ganderi. In addition, the terminal stem segments are typically 3 - 8 cm, compared with 10 - 26 cm for C. ganderi. Right: Gander's cholla (C. ganderi) photographed in northern Borrego Valley near the Anza-Borrego State Park visitor center. The tips of the perianth segments are reddish-brown, particularly on the outer (abaxial) side. Both species have pale green filaments and greenish-yellow perianth segments.

5. Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa)

A densely spiny silver cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) photographed along Hwy S-2 near Agua Caliente Hot Springs. The terminal stem segments of this species are typically 3 - 8 cm, compared with 10 - 26 cm for C. ganderi. Both species have pale green filaments and greenish-yellow perianth segments.

6. Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa)

Silver cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) photographed in the native plant garden at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The terminal stem segments of this species are typically 3 - 8 cm and the tubercles are about 2 x longer than wide.

Silver cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) photographed in the native plant garden at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The stamen filaments are green, unlike the bright red filaments of C. acanthocarpa (next image).

7. Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa)

Buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) photographed in the Native Plant Garden at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. This is probably var. coloradensis. The riblike tubercles are elengate and slenter, more than 4 x longer than wide (2-3 cm in length). The stamen filaments are red in this species of cholla.

Buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) photographed in the Native Plant Garden at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. This is probably var. coloradensis. The stamen filaments are red, unlike the green filaments of C. echinocarpa and C. ganderi.

8. Pencil Cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima)

Pencil cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) photographed along Hwy S-2 near Agua Caliente Hot Springs. This species is readily identified by its slender stem segments and long spines. Pencil cholla is definitely not a good place to hang your house keys.

Pencil cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) photographed at 5:00 P.M. (27 June 2011) at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The flowers are vespertine, opening in the late afternoon and evening. They and not typically observed during the daytime hours. The flower in lower image was fully opened by 5:30 P.M. and was closed by 10:00 P.M. the same evening.

Pencil cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) photographed at 6:00 P.M. (30 June 2011) in a flower pot at my home in San Marcos. The flowers are vespertine, opening in the late afternoon and evening. Athough the flower was fully opened by 6:00 P.M., it was closed by 10:00 P.M. the same evening.

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