Cylindropuntia whipplei

(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) F. M. Knuth in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth

in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, 124. 1935.

Common names: Whipple cholla
Endemic
Basionym: Opuntia whipplei Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 307. 1856
Synonyms: Cylindropuntia hualpaensis Backeberg Cylindropuntia whipplei var. enodis (Peebles) Backeberg Opuntia whipplei var. enodis Peebles Opuntia whipplei var. laevior Engelmann
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 111. Mentioned on page 95, 105, 106.

Trees or shrubs, low to upright, sparingly to densely branched, some almost matlike in Arizona, 0.3–0.6 (–1.5) m; branchlets whorled to subwhorled. Stem segments firmly attached, green, 3–9 (–15) × 0.5–1.5 (–2.2) cm; tubercles prominent, short, 0.5–1 cm; areoles oval to obdeltate, 2–6 × 1.5–4 mm; wool pale-yellow to white, aging gray. Spines (1–) 3–8 (–10) spines per areole, in all but basalmost areoles, best developed toward apex, interlacing with spines of adjacent areoles, whitish or pale-yellow, pale redbrown, sometimes tipped yellow, of 2 kinds; radial spines slender, flattened basally, deflexed, 5–8 mm, surrounding central spines; central spines usually 4 (–6), spreading into a cross, stout, subterete, 2–3.4 (–4.5) cm; also 0–2 bristlelike spines; sheaths whitish to pale-yellow (rarely golden) throughout or tipped yellow to golden. Glochids in adaxial tuft, yellow, 1–3 mm. Flowers: inner tepals yellow to green-yellow, spatulate, 15–25 (–30) mm, apiculate; filaments yellowish or yellow-green; anthers yellow; style white to yellowish; stigma lobes whitish, yellowish, or pale green (rarely pink tinged). Fruits rarely proliferating, yellow to greenish yellow, broadly cylindric to subspheric, 18–30 (–35) × 15–22 (–32) mm, fleshy, tuberculate, spineless; tubercles subequal or distalmost longest, usually prominent; umbilicus 7–8 mm deep; areoles 36–62. Seeds pale-yellow, subcircular to slightly angular in outline, flattened to warped, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, sides smooth or with 1–3 depressions; girdle smooth. 2n = 22, 44.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer (May–Jul).
Habitat: Desert and plains grasslands, juniper woodlands, oak, pinyon, or pine forests, sagebrush
Elevation: 900-2300 m

Distribution

V4 210-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Colo., Nev., N.Mex., Utah.

Discussion

Cylindropuntia whipplei hybridizes with C. acanthocarpa in central Arizona; the hybrids [= C. ×congesta (Griffiths) F. M. Knuth (as species) (D. J. Pinkava 1999)] are compact shrubs with long-tuberculate stem segments 8–12 mm thick, bearing 0–4 erect or deflexed spines per areole, and tuberculate, green to yellowish fruits occasionally bearing one to few spines, and have chromosome number of 2n = 22. In areas of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, C. whipplei hybridizes with C. echinocarpa, particularly with the low, compact form of C. echinocarpa; the hybrids [= C. ×multigeniculata (Clokey) Backeberg] have spineless to nearly spineless fruits, numerous intergrading spines per stem areole that are not dimorphic, and chromosome number of 2n = 22. Hybrids between C. whipplei and C. imbricata [= C. ×viridiflora (Britton & Rose) F. M. Knuth], which are found in scattered localities in northern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona, have a low, bushy habit, ripe cantaloupe-colored inner tepals, an irregular, monomorphic spine pattern, and a chromosome number of 2n = 22. Cylindropuntia ×media P. V. Heath, from the base of Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado (G. Arp 1973), reportedly has the same putative parentage as the older name C. ×viridiflora; further study of its parentage is warranted. Cylindropuntia whipplei also hybridizes with C. leptocaulis.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Cylindropuntia whipplei"
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 +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
36 +  and 62 +
oval +  and obdeltate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) F. M. Knuth in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth +
Opuntia whipplei +
whorled;subwhorled +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Whipple cholla +
Ariz. +, Colo. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +  and Utah. +
900-2300 m +
yellow-green +  and yellowish +
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 />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br /> (3.2 cm32 mm <br />0.032 m <br />) +
yellow;greenish yellow +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
proliferating +
tuberculate +
broadly cylindric +  and subspheric +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Desert and plains grasslands, juniper woodlands, oak, pinyon, or pine forests, sagebrush +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 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 +
Flowering late spring–early summer (May–Jul). +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
in C. Backeberg and F. M. Knuth, Kaktus-ABC, +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
pale-yellow +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
flattened;warped +
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
with 1-3 depressions +  and smooth +
radial +  and interlacing +
tipped yellow +, pale redbrown +, pale-yellow +  and whitish +
deciduous +  and persistent +
conspicuous +
3 (?) +  and 8 (?) +
flattened +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
pale green +, yellowish +  and whitish +
white +  and yellowish +
Cylindropuntia hualpaensis +, Cylindropuntia whipplei var. enodis +, Opuntia whipplei var. enodis +  and Opuntia whipplei var. laevior +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Cylindropuntia whipplei +
Cylindropuntia +
species +
dull +  and glossy +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
shrub +, matlike +  and tree +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
gray +, pale-yellow +  and white +