Cylindropuntia spinosior


Cylindropuntia spinosior, with the common names include cane cholla, spiny cholla and walkingstick cactus, is a cactus species of the North American deserts.
It is native to Arizona and New Mexico in the United States; and Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico.

Description

Cylindropuntia spinosior grows to between 0.4 and 1.2 metres in height and has spine-covered stems. Flowers may be rose, red purple, yellow, or white and appear from spring to early summer. These are followed by fruits that are yellow with occasional red or purple tinges.

Invasive species

In Australia, the species is regarded as an emerging weed threat in Queensland where it is known as snake cactus. It is a declared noxious weed in New South Wales where it was first observed to be naturalised in 2000/2001. It is also naturalised in South Australia.