| Teddy-bear cholla | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Genus: | Cylindropuntia |
| Species: | C. bigelovii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cylindropuntia bigelovii | |
| Synonyms | |
Opuntia bigelovii | |
Cylindropuntia bigelovii, theteddy-bear cholla, is acholla cactus species native to NorthwesternMexico, and to theUnited States inCalifornia,Arizona, andNevada.
Cylindropuntia bigelovii has a soft appearance due to its solid mass of very formidable spines that completely cover the stems, leading to its sardonic nickname of "teddy bear".
The teddy-bear cholla stands 1 to 5 ft (0.30 to 1.52 m) tall with a distinct trunk. The branches or lobes are at the top of the trunk and are nearly horizontal. Lower branches typically fall off, and the trunk darkens with age. The silvery-white spines, which are actually a form of leaf, almost completely obscure the stem with a fuzzy-looking but impenetrable defense. The spines are 1 in (2.5 cm) long and covered with a detachable, paper-like sheath.[2]
Yellow-green flowers emerge at the tips of the stems in May and June. Flowers are usually 3.6 cm (1.4 in) in length and produce fruit that is 1.9 cm (0.75 in) in diameter, tuberculate, and may or may not have spines. These fruits contain few if any viable seeds as the plant usually reproduces through a dispersal strategy of dropped or carried stems.[3] These stems are often carried for some distance by sticking to the fur or skin of animals and are especially painful to remove.[4] When a piece of this cholla sticks to an animal or person, a good method to remove the cactus is with a hair comb. The spines have microscopic barbs which point backwards and hold on tightly. Often small stands of these chollas form, most of which are clones of the same individual.
Like its cousin thejumping cholla, the stems detach easily, and the ground around a mature plant is often littered with scattered cholla balls and small plants starting where these balls have rooted.
Desertpack rats such as thedesert woodrat gather these balls around their burrows, creating a defense against most predators likekit fox and coyote, however several species of snake feed on the rat, keeping its population balanced.[5]
Thecactus wren can be found perched on the cholla and other cacti. They also use a variety of cacti for nesting purposes.[5]
The "jumping" part of the name is said to have originated because a person who is walking in the desert can step on a grounded stem with the heel of a boot or a shoe, which can cause the stem to swivel up and embed spines in the walker's calf.
Cylindropuntia bigelovii grows in desert regions at elevations to about 3,000 ft (900 m) in the "Low Desert" orColorado Desert ofSouthern California, and in otherSonoran Desert regions of theSouthwestern United States and northwesternMexico.[2]
In theLower Colorado River Valley, the most denseCylindropuntia bigelovii stands are at higher elevations, in the rockiest sites. There are fewerSonoran Desert orColorado Desert plantassociation species, but two are common though reduced in size:ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) andsaguaro (Carnegiea gigantea).
The teddy bear cholla is also found in a protected Cholla Cactus Garden as part of theJoshua Tree National Park among other desert plants such as thedesert senna,pencil cholla,creosote bush,jojoba, and climbing milkweedFunastrum cynanchoides which can climb and cover the teddy bear cholla and may even kill it.[5]
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