Staghorn Cholla

Description:

Staghorn cholla is a distinctly tree-like cactus, usually with a short trunk and a more widely spreading and rounded crown. Cholla stems are made up of sections or 'joints' that are cylindrical (circular in cross-section) and covered with spines. The spines occur in clusters of 7 or 10, are straight and sharp but not strongly barbed. The purple or reddish color of the dark-green branches is conspicuous, especially in cold weather or during periods of drought. The flowers vary a great deal in color: red, lavender, rose-purple, yellow, green, bronze, brown, or orange. The fruit is green, usually with a tinge of purple or lavender; fleshy at maturity, usually without spines, and shallowly cup-shaped at the tip. Fruits may remain on the plant for more than a year and new fruits sometimes grow from the old ones, forming short chains.

Habitat:

Boothill's arid hilltop in Tombstone, Arizona.

Notes:

Staghorn Cholla fruit grows and swells as it ripens, eventually becoming smooth and rounded.