Cylindropuntia
| Cylindropuntia | |
|---|---|
| File:Cylindropuntia imbricata.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Opuntioideae |
| Tribe | Cylindropuntieae |
| SubTribe | |
| Genus | Cylindropuntia |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). The genus is treated in the strict sense (s.s.). |
Etymology
The name means "cylindrical Opuntia", referring to the cylindrical stems, in contrast to flattened Opuntia.
Description
Cylindropuntia is a genus of shrubby to tree-like cacti with cylindrical segmented stems.
- Habit: Much-branched shrubs or small trees with indeterminate growth.
- Stems: Cylindrical or clavate segments, often tuberculate and easily detached.
- Areoles: Bearing glochids.
- Spines: Variable, usually enclosed in a papery sheath that soon falls.
- Flowers: Diurnal, open widely, yellow, greenish, red, bronze or magenta; mostly self-sterile.
- Fruits: Dry or fleshy, sometimes forming chains.
- Seeds: Large, flattened, straw-coloured, sometimes absent.
Habitat
The genus grows in deserts, rocky slopes, plains, valleys, plateaus, and coastal dry scrub. It may form dense populations and often occurs among shrubs.
Altitude range: from sea level up to about 2100 m (sometimes higher in naturalized populations).
Distribution
- Americas:
Mexico (multiple states), United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah), Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago), Venezuela
- Naturalized:
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Taxonomy
The genus Cylindropuntia was established by F.M. Knuth (1935).
Molecular studies (Wallace & Dickie 2002; Griffith 2002; Griffith & Porter 2009) support its recognition as a monophyletic genus, although relationships with Grusonia and related genera remain complex.
Natural hybridization is frequent and contributes to taxonomic difficulty within the genus.
According to Joël Lodé (2015), Cylindropuntia sensu stricto is a valid genus within Cylindropuntieae.
Species
Following the classification of Joël Lodé (2015).
- Cylindropuntia abyssi
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
- Cylindropuntia alcahes
- Cylindropuntia anteojoensis
- Cylindropuntia arbuscula
- Cylindropuntia bigelovii
- Cylindropuntia californica
- Cylindropuntia calmalliana
- Cylindropuntia caribaea
- Cylindropuntia cholla
- Cylindropuntia davisii
- Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
- Cylindropuntia fulgida
- Cylindropuntia ganderi
- Cylindropuntia hystrix
- Cylindropuntia imbricata
- Cylindropuntia kleiniae
- Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
- Cylindropuntia lindsayi
- Cylindropuntia molesta
- Cylindropuntia munzii
- Cylindropuntia prolifera
- Cylindropuntia ramosissima
- Cylindropuntia rosea
- Cylindropuntia sanfelipensis
- Cylindropuntia santamaria
- Cylindropuntia spinosior
- Cylindropuntia tesajo
- Cylindropuntia thurberi
- Cylindropuntia tunicata
- Cylindropuntia versicolor
- Cylindropuntia whipplei
- Cylindropuntia wigginsii
- Cylindropuntia wolfii
Hybrids
Notes
- The genus is highly variable and includes many natural hybrids.
- Some species (e.g. C. ramosissima) show unusual phylogenetic positions.
- Hybridization and polyploidy complicate classification.
