BUCKHORN CHOLLA (Opuntia acanthocarpa)

Buckhorn cholla with creosote bush behind and triangle-leaf bursage in front. Sonoran desert, Arizona

This is a highly variable cholla, found in the hotter desert regions from southern California to eastern Arizona and into Mexico. Its elevation extends from 300 to about 1000 metres. It can grow up to 3 metres in height in part of its range but it more typically forms a quite dense bush about 1-1.5 metres high. The stems have many short, thin spines that overlap in different directions, but the spines do not have prominent sheaths so they do not hide the colour of the stems. The flowers are of various colours in different populations - yellow, orange, pink or red.

Buckhorn cholla flowers