Cylindropuntia 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.

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Cylindropuntia
Species:	C. acanthocarpa
Binomial name
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow
Synonyms
Opuntia acanthocarpa

Varieties

Flower

During winter dryness.

There are a number of recognized varieties include:

• Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa ^[2]
• Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis — L.D. Benson; Colorado buckhorn cholla.^[3]
• Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ganderi — (C.B. Wolf) L.D. Benson
• Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major — Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow ^[4]
• Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ramosa — Peebles
• Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi — (Thornber & Bonker) L.D. Benson; Thornber's buckhorn cholla.^[5]

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.[1]
• Today's O’odham people still pit-roast or boil the cholla buds, which taste like asparagus tips.

References

1. Pinkava, D.J.; Baker, M.; Puente, R. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152855A121491804. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152855A121491804.en. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. USDA: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa
3. Calflora: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis
4. Calflora: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major
5. USDA: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi

External links

• Cylindropuntia acantocarpa photo gallery at Opuntia Web
• Calflora Database: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (buck horn cholla)