Cylindropuntia ramosissima
| Cylindropuntia ramosissima | ||||||||||||
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Cylindropuntia ramosissima |
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| Cylindropuntia ramosissima | ||||||||||||
| ( Engelm. ) FMKnuth |
Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a species of the genus Cylindropuntia in the cactus family(Cactaceae). The specific epithet ramosissima means '(Latin ramosissimus) superlative of ramosus strongly branched'. English common names are "Branched Pencil Cholla" and "Diamond Cholla".
description
Cylindropuntia ramosissima grows shrubby or tree-shaped, is interwoven, branching and reaches heights of 0.5 to 2 meters. On the firmly adhering green, dry graying, cylindrical, 2 to 10 centimeters long and 0.4 to 1 centimeter in diameter shoot sections are rhomus-shaped, convex humps. The almost circular, tan to white woolen areoles protrude at the upper end and are squeezed between the neighboring cusps. They have yellow to brown glochids up to 2 millimeters long . Most of the one to five spines are located on the areoles of the shoots near the tip or are occasionally absent entirely. They are tan to reddish brown to deep purple and turn gray with age. Of the up to two main spines, the longest is spread out and 2.5 to 6 centimeters long. The lower main spines are mostly bent back and up to 1 centimeter long.
The flowers are bronze red with a slight pink tinge. The ellipsoidal tan-colored fruits are dry and become burr-like. They are 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters long and 1 to 1.5 centimeters in diameter.
Distribution, systematics and endangerment
Cylindropuntia ramosissima is distributed in the United States in the states of California , Arizona and Nevada and in the Mexican states of Baja California , Baja California Sur and Sonora in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts at altitudes of 50 to 1100 meters.
The first description as Opuntia ramosissima by George Engelmann was published in 1852. Frederik Marcus Knuth placed the species in 1930 in the genus Cylindropuntia .
In the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN , the species is listed as " Least Concern (LC) ". H. listed as not endangered. The development of the populations is considered stable.
proof
literature
- Edward F. Anderson : The Great Cactus Lexicon . Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8001-4573-1 , p. 174 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Notes on the Cereus giganteus of South Eastern California and some other Californian Cactaceae . In: American Journal of Science and Arts . 2nd episode, Volume 14, 1852, p. 339 (online) .
- ↑ Den nye cactus arch . 1930, p. 106.
- ↑ Cylindropuntia ramosissima in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Posted by: Pinkava, DJ, Baker, M. & Puente, R., 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
