Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, commonly referred to as buckhorn cholla, is a cholla native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado Deserts of North America. Along with Cylindropuntia bigelovii (the "teddy bear" cholla), it is the most common cholla found in these deserts.
Varieties
There are a number of recognized varieties include:
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa USDA: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis — L.D. Benson; Colorado buckhorn cholla.Calflora: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ganderi — (C.B. Wolf) L.D. Benson Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major — Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow Calflora: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. major Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. ramosa — Peebles Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi — (Thornber & Bonker) L.D. Benson; Thornber's buckhorn cholla.USDA: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. thornberi
Ethnobotany Early spring was called ko'oak macat (the painful moon) by the Tohono O'odham because of scarce food supplies. During this season, they turned to cacti for food and pit-roasted thousands of calcium-rich cholla flower buds. Today's O'odham people still pit-roast or boil the cholla buds, which taste like asparagus tips.
References
External links Cylindropuntia acantocarpa photo gallery at Opuntia Web Calflora Database: Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (buck horn cholla)