Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Cylindropuntia
Species:
C. leptocaulis
Binomial name
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Synonyms

Opuntia leptocaulis DC.
Opuntia frutescens Engelm.

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, the desert Christmas cactus, desert Christmas cholla, pencil cactus, or tasajillo, is a species of cholla cactus.

Distribution and habitat

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis is widely distributed in deserts, grasslands, chaparral, and woodlands in the Southwestern United States and several states in Northern Mexico.[1]

Description

The shrubby Cylindropuntia leptocaulis plants reach .5 to 1.8 m (1.6 to 5.9 ft) tall, reaching the extreme height when supported within desert trees. Branches are narrow, 3–5 mm across. Spines 0-1 (occasionally as many as 3) at each areole. Flowers open in the late afternoon and are pale yellow or greenish yellow, with occasional red tips.[2]

Around December, the plant grows red berries that when consumed, can have an intoxicating effect. The fruits are crushed and mixed with a beverage by the Apache, Chiricahua, and Mescalero to produce narcotic effects.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, Christmas Cactus, Southwest Desert Flora". southwestdesertflora.com. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  2. ↑ Anderson, Edward F. (2001). The cactus family. Portland, Or: Timber Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-88192-498-9.
  3. ↑ Moerman, Daniel (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-88192-453-4.
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