''Cylindropuntia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of cacti (

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cactaceae A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

), containing species commonly known as chollas ( ), native to northern Mexico and the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

. They are known for their barbed spines that tenaciously attach to skin, fur, and clothing. Stands of cholla are called cholla gardens. Individuals within these colonies often exhibit the same

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

, as they were formerly tubercles of an original plant.

Taxonomy

''Cylindropuntia'' was formerly treated as a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

of ''

Opuntia ''Opuntia'', commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. Cacti are native to the Americas, and are well adapted to arid clima ...

'', but have now been separated based on their cylindrical stems (''Opuntia'' species have flattened stems) and the presence of papery epidermal sheaths on the spines (''Opuntia'' has no sheaths). A few species of mat- or clump-forming opuntioid cacti are currently placed in the genus '' Grusonia''. Collectively, opuntias, chollas, and related plants are sometimes called opuntiads. The roughly 35 species of ''Cylindropuntia'' are native to the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico, and the West Indies. ''The Flora of North America'' recognizes 22 species.Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. ''Flora of North America North of Mexico''. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford. Some species have been introduced to South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru) and South Africa.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepts the following species:

Hybrids

Cholla wood in pet trade

Dried, dead ''Cylindropuntia'' sections are called "cholla wood" and are popular in the pet trade. In

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

s they are immersed partly or entirely into the water for pets to swim through, and in terrariums and other terrestrial pet enclosures they are placed and propped up for climbing.

Notes

References

External links

* USDA Plants Profile for ''Cylindropuntia'' (cholla) * {{Taxonbar, from=Q137197 Cacti of Mexico Cacti of the United States North American desert flora Opuntioideae genera Taxa named by George Engelmann Plants used in Native American cuisine