tree cholla Cactaceae Cylindropuntia imbricata

Leaf:Reduced to a spine, to 1 inch silvery-yellow spines, arranged in obvious areoles with up to 30 (commonly 10-15) stiff spines per areole.
Flower:Pink to purple or sometimes yellow-orange, to 2 1/2 inches, displayed at the joint tips, early summer.
Fruit:Barrel-shaped, fleshy, yellow-green, 2 inch, without spines, persisiting into winter.
Twig:Segmented, each segment blue-green or yellow-green, to 14 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, segments appearing imbricate with areoles displayed on raised tubercules.
Bark:Brown-black, becoming rough and scaly.
Form:Generally upright segmented cactus with one low-branching trunk to 4 inches in diameter, height to 12 feet.

leaf flower fruit form map

Notes: