Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
| Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Buck-horn cholla | |
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| Species: | C. acanthocarpa
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| Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa | |
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Opuntia acanthocarpa | |
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.
Varieties
There are a number of recognized varieties include:
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa [1]
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis — L.D. Benson; Colorado buckhorn cholla. [2]
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ganderi — (C.B. Wolf) L.D. Benson
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major — Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow [3]
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ramosa — Peebles
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi — (Thornber & Bonker) L.D. Benson; Thornber's buckhorn cholla. [4]
Ethnobotany
- 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.
References
- Missouri Botanical Garden's VAST (VAScular Tropicos) nomenclatural database
- USDA Plants Profile: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (Engelm. & Bigelow) F.M. Knuth
External links
- Cylindropuntia acantocarpa photo gallery at Opuntia Web
- Calflora Database: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (buck horn cholla)
- USDA Plants Profile for Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (Buck-horn cholla)
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