Cylindropuntia imbricata

(Haworth) F. M. Knuth in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth

in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, 125. 1935.

Common names: Tree cholla coyonostyle
Illustrated
Basionym: Cereus imbricatush aworth Suppl. Pl. Succ., 70. 1819
Synonyms: Opuntia imbricata (Haworth) de Candolle
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 112. Mentioned on page 105, 110, 111.

Trees, with short trunks, or large shrubs, widely branching, (1–) 1.5–2.5 (–5) m. Stem segments firmly attached, whorled or subwhorled, gray-green, cylindric to weakly clavate, 10–40 × 1.5–4 cm; tubercles very prominent, widely spaced, (1.5–) 2–5 cm; areoles elliptic, 5–8× 3–4 mm; wool yellow to tan, aging gray to black. Spines (5–) 8–15 (–30) per areole or spineless to nearly spineless, usually at most areoles, not obscuring stems, spreading, straight or slightly curved, silver to yellow to usually ± red or tan to brown, stout, terete or sometimes flattened basally, 8–30 (–40) mm subequal; sheaths silver to yellow to usually tan to dirty white, yellow-tipped. Glochids in dense adaxial tuft, pale-yellow, 0.5–3 mm. Flowers: inner tepals dark-pink to magenta to red-magenta, obovate, apiculate, 15–35 mm; filaments green basally to pink to magenta distally; anthers yellow; style light green basally or pink to red-magenta apically; stigma lobes green or cream. Fruits not proliferating, yellow, obovoid, 24–45 × 20–40 mm, fleshy, tuberculate, spineless; areoles 18–30; tubercles nearly equal in length or longer in proximal portion of fruit, prominent (occasionally smooth at maturity); umbilicus 7–14 mm deep. Seeds yellow-tan, subcircular to angled, warped, 2.5–4 mm diam., sides smooth to slightly lumpy; girdle usually narrow, not protruding.

Distribution

V4 212-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Colo., Kans., N.Mex., Okla., Tex., n Mexico

Discussion

Varieties 2+ (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Plants trees 3-5 m; stem segments 12-40 cm; tubercles widely spaced; spines, and sheaths when present, usually tan to dirty white or ± yellow Cylindropuntia imbricata var. imbricata
1 Plants erect shrubs to 1.2 m; stem segments 10-20 cm; tubercles narrowly spaced; spines and sheaths silvery Cylindropuntia imbricata var. argentea
... more about "Cylindropuntia imbricata"
cushionlike +
gray +  and tan +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
18 +  and 30 +
obdeltate +  and rhombic +
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Haworth) F. M. Knuth in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth +
Cereus imbricatush +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Tree cholla +  and coyonostyle +
Ariz. +, Colo. +, Kans. +, N.Mex. +, Okla. +, Tex. +  and n Mexico +
pink +  and magenta +
salverform +, cup-shaped +  and rotate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
not proliferating +
tuberculate +
obovoid +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
with low marginal ridge +  and smooth +
not protruding +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
deciduous +
flattened +  and conic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
succulent +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
tinged color +
sometimes covered by outgrowths of proximal portion of style base or of flower tube wall +  and open +
persistent +  and deciduous +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
yellow-tan +
2.5mm;4mm +
warped;subcircular;angled +
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
yellow-tipped +
smooth;slightly lumpy +
Illustrated +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
silver +  and yellow +
curved +  and straight +
deciduous +  and persistent +
not spreading +
conspicuous +
8 (?) +  and 15 (?) +
flattened +  and terete +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
subwhorled +  and whorled +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
cream +  and green +
light green basally or pink +  and red-magenta +
Opuntia imbricata +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Cylindropuntia imbricata +
Cylindropuntia +
species +
dull +  and glossy +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
250 cm2,500 mm <br />2.5 m <br /> (500 cm5,000 mm <br />5 m <br />) +
shrub +  and tree +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
gray +  and black +