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Project Noah Nature School
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Description: The flowers are 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and have narrow, point-tipped, shiny green tepals, green anther filaments, and a yellow style. The flowers are followed by bright red fruit dotted with bundles of cinnamon brown glochids (tiny areole spines). The colorful fruit remains on the plant throughout the winter, giving this cactus its festive Christmas color. The stems are slender, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) in diameter, green, and spiny near the stem tips with a single 2-inch (5 cm) long, golden brown spine on some of the areoles. Lower stem areoles are more likely to be spineless.
Area along edge of wash running through a housing development.
Spotted on Nov 2, 2014
Submitted on Dec 18, 2014
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