pencil cholla Cactaceae Cylindropuntia tesajo
Leaf:Reduced to a spine covered in a tan sheath, arranged in obvious areoles with up to 4 long stiff spines per areole.
Flower:Yellow-green to yellow, 1 1/2 inch, displayed at the joint tips, appearing in spring.
Fruit:Barrel-shaped or pear-shaped, initially fleshy, green and red, turning yellow-brown, to 2 inches, lacking spines, persisting.
Twig:Segmented, each segment gray-green to purplish, to 6 inches long (often 3-4 inches) and 1/2 inch in diameter.
Bark:Brown-black, becoming rough and scaly.
Form:Shrubby segmented cactus branching very low to the ground, to 3 feet, densely branched.
Notes:
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