CRISTATE BARREL

Like several other cacti, the barrel cactus can show deformed growth - termed cristate growth or monstrose growth - in response to damage of the meristem (growing point). The image below shows such an example for the Arizona barrel on private ranch land in southern Arizona.

Deformation of the growing point of an Arizona barrel

Close-up view of the deformed growth.

For other examples of cristate or monstrose growth:
Go to Monstrose growth of saguaro?
Go to Monstrose growth of cardon?
Go to abnormal growth of Senita?

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