Cylindropuntia munzii

Munz's cholla

Family: Cactaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Munz's cholla is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native shrub found in southern desert mountains including Chocolate and Chuckwalla Mountains, Imperial and Riverside counties, growing in gravelly or sandy washes and canyon walls at elevations of 150 to 600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow-green to red-brown flowers with green filaments on terminal segments. Growing up to 2.4 meters tall with several spreading branches that curve upwards, it features distinctive terminal segments easily detached and typically less than 10 centimeters long. Its stems have prominent tubercles 10 to 16 millimeters long and bear 9 to 16 light yellow to pale red-brown spines less than 4 centimeters in length. The cactus produces dry fruits with deciduous spines and is capable of fertile seed production.

Habitat: Gravelly or sandy soils of washes, canyon walls

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 150-600 m

Bioregions: DSon (Chocolate, Chuckwalla mtns, Imperial, Riverside cos.)

California counties: Riverside, Imperial

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.