Cylindropuntia sp.
Cholla, Cholla
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Cactaceae · Type: Shrub · Variable; species dependent
Cylindropuntia sp. (Cholla) is a non-native California shrub in the Cactaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Opuntia: Cylindropuntia has cylindrical stem segments; Opuntia has flattened paddle-shaped pads.; vs Austrocylindropuntia: Cylindropuntia has papery spine sheaths that peel away; Austrocylindropuntia lacks spine sheaths entirely.; vs Echinocereus: Cylindropuntia has segmented stems that detach easily; Echinocereus has ribbed continuous stems.; vs Bergerocactus: Cylindropuntia has detachable segments with tubercles; Bergerocactus has continuous ribbed stems.; vs Grusonia: Cylindropuntia has round spines and grows waist-high or taller; Grusonia has flattened spines and stays under 10 inches.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cylindropuntia sp. native to California?
No. Cylindropuntia sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Cylindropuntia sp. belong to?
Cylindropuntia sp. is in the Cactaceae family, genus Cylindropuntia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cylindropuntia wolfii — Wolf's cholla
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa — Buckhorn cholla
- Cylindropuntia bernardina — Cane or valley cholla
- Cylindropuntia bigelovii — Teddy-bear cholla
- Cylindropuntia californica var. californica — Snake cholla
- Cylindropuntia chuckwallensis — Chuckwalla cholla
- Echinocactus polycephalus var. polycephalus — Barrel cactus
- Echinocactus sp. — Clustered barrel cactus
- Echinocereus engelmannii — Calico cactus
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.