Low rounded or erect spreading shrub, 0.5–1 (–2) m high, to 3 m diam., large plants producing a trunk. Stem segments whorled or subwhorled, cylindric, 4–26 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm diam., tuberculate, glabrous, green to grey-green, segments easily detached; tubercles elongate, prominent, rib-like, rounded, 15–20 mm long, 6–9 mm wide, projecting 5–12 mm. Areoles apical on tubercles, subcircular to obovate, 4–7 mm long, 10–35 mm apart, flattened, filled with white to dirty yellow wool, and glochids, aging grey to black. Leaves succulent, terete, tapering to an acuminate point, 3.5–5.5 mm long. Spines 7–14 per areole, spreading, the longer spines 30–50 mm long, 0.2–0.5 mm wide near base, white to cream (occasionally light brown at stem apex when developing), straight, obscuring stem, usually with a few smaller spines 9–15 mm long; spine sheaths loosely fitting, white or tan at stem apex, aging pale yellow in dried specimens. Glochids in an adaxial tuft, 1.5–2 mm long, white to pale brown. Flowers 40–50 mm diam.; outer tepals reduced, reddish to brownish, succulent, narrow obovate to narrow spathulate, 15–20 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, the apex with a short mucro or acuminate; inner tepals thulian pink, obovate to spathulate, 35–40 mm long, 6–13 mm wide, the apex obtuse with a short mucro. Staminal filaments thulian pink, anthers yellow. Style thulian pink; stigma lobes pale yellow to white. Pericarpel tuberculate, spiny. Fruit solitary, not proliferating, very rarely maturing, obconic to obovoid, the umbilicus deep, 30–35 mm long, 15–25 mm diam., tuberculate, spiny, fleshy but not juicy, green to yellow, indehiscent. Seeds usually not developed, if developed then obovoid to suborbicular, 3–3.8 mm long, 2.8–3.5 mm wide, sterile.
More
Shrub, branching basally with ascending stems, (0.2-)0.5-1.0 m high (1.5 m in Australian form); branch segments cylindric, 100-150 x 16-25 mm, grey-green; tubercles distinct; areoles large, 20-35 mm apart. Spines (1-)4-9, acicular, 10-40 mm long, yellow, reddish or grey; sheaths papery, yellowish, not completely covering spines. Flowers 3.8-4.0 mm long, pink. Fruit obconical to obovoid, 16-18 x 11-14 mm, spiny, yellow (Jansenville), able to root and form new plants.
In Australia, Cylindropuntia pallida is predominantly naturalised in the subarid and arid inland regions. It is often associated with homesteads, mining areas, tip sites, but is also an environmental weed. It occurs in a variety of habitats including Eucalyptus woodlands, alluvial floodplains, shrublands and rocky outcrops. It grows on most soil types (NSW WeedWise).
Home
