Teddy-bear Cholla
Encyclopedia
The teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) is a cactus
native to California
, Arizona
, and Nevada
(USA) and northwestern Mexico
.
that completely cover the stems
. From a distance, the stems appear soft and fuzzy, giving it the name "teddy bear
".
The teddy-bear cholla is an erect plant, standing 1 to 5 ft (0.3048 to 1.5 m) tall with a distinct trunk
. The branch
es 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 are covered with a detachable, paper-like sheath.
The yellow-green flower
s of this cactus emerge at the tips of the stems in May and June, and the fruit
s that follow usually have no viable seed
. Flowers are usually 1.375 in (3.5 cm) in length. The fruit is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) in diameter, tuberculate, and may or may not have spines. These cacti produce few seeds, as the plant usually reproduces from dropped stems. These stems are often carried for some distance by sticking to the hair of animals. Often small "forests" of these chollas form that are largely clones of one individual.
Like its cousin the jumping cholla
, the stems of this cactus 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. When a piece of this cholla sticks to an unsuspecting person, a good method to remove the cactus is with a hair comb. The spines are barbed, and hold on tightly. Desert pack rat
s such as the Desert Woodrat
gather these balls around their burrows, creating a defense against predators.
The teddy-bear cholla is extremely flammable.
regions at elevations from 100 to 300 ft (30.5 to 91.4 m).
In the lower Colorado River
valley, the most dense cholla forests are at higher elevations, in the rockiest sites. There are fewer Sonoran Desert
, or Colorado Desert
plants in association, but three are common, though in reduced size: the Ocotillo
, the Saguaro
, and a relative cholla, a finger-leaf cholla, with 7-10 in fingers, and of similar height, and similar to the teddy-bear in appearance, but a more open plant.
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
(USA) and northwestern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Description
The plant has a soft appearance due to its solid mass of very formidable spinesThorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
that completely cover the stems
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
. From a distance, the stems appear soft and fuzzy, giving it the name "teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
".
The teddy-bear cholla is an erect plant, standing 1 to 5 ft (0.3048 to 1.5 m) tall with a distinct trunk
Trunk (botany)
In botany, trunk refers to the main wooden axis of a tree that supports the branches and is supported by and directly attached to the roots. The trunk is covered by the bark, which is an important diagnostic feature in tree identification, and which often differs markedly from the bottom of the...
. The branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
es 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
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, almost completely obscure the stem with a fuzzy-looking, but impenetrable, defense. The spines are 1 in (2.5 cm) long and are covered with a detachable, paper-like sheath.
The yellow-green flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s of this cactus emerge at the tips of the stems in May and June, and the fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s that follow usually have no viable seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
. Flowers are usually 1.375 in (3.5 cm) in length. The fruit is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) in diameter, tuberculate, and may or may not have spines. These cacti produce few seeds, as the plant usually reproduces from dropped stems. These stems are often carried for some distance by sticking to the hair of animals. Often small "forests" of these chollas form that are largely clones of one individual.
Like its cousin the jumping cholla
Jumping Cholla
Cylindropuntia fulgida, the Jumping cholla, also known as the hanging chain cholla, is a cactus that is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.-Distribution:...
, the stems of this cactus 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. When a piece of this cholla sticks to an unsuspecting person, a good method to remove the cactus is with a hair comb. The spines are barbed, and hold on tightly. Desert pack rat
Pack rat
A packrat, also called a woodrat, can be any of the species in the rodent genus Neotoma. Packrats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears and large black eyes. Compared to deer mice, harvest mice and grasshopper mice, packrats are noticeably larger and are usually somewhat larger...
s such as the Desert Woodrat
Desert Woodrat
The Desert Woodrat is a small species of pack rat native to desert regions of western North America, ranging from southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, south to California in the U.S., and Baja California and extreme northwestern Sonora in Mexico.This pack rat is 8.5 to 15 inches long...
gather these balls around their burrows, creating a defense against predators.
The teddy-bear cholla is extremely flammable.
Distribution
Teddy-bear cholla grow in desertDesert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
regions at elevations from 100 to 300 ft (30.5 to 91.4 m).
In the lower Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
valley, the most dense cholla forests are at higher elevations, in the rockiest sites. There are fewer Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
, or Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
plants in association, but three are common, though in reduced size: the Ocotillo
Ocotillo
Fouquieria splendens Engelm. is a desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include ocotillo, desert coral, coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and vine cactus, although it is not a true cactus...
, the Saguaro
Saguaro
The saguaro is a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California, U.S...
, and a relative cholla, a finger-leaf cholla, with 7-10 in fingers, and of similar height, and similar to the teddy-bear in appearance, but a more open plant.