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Cane or Valley Cholla, Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri

Cane or Valley Cholla,
Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri
Cactaceae

A good place to observe Cylindropuntia californica var parkeri is along County Road S-2 north of Scissors Crossing in the San Felipe Valley. Look for it in May and June between mile 9 (elevation 2,800 feet) and mile 12 (elevation 2,600 feet). Botanists say that C. californica var parkeri "intergrades and hybridizes" with Gander's Cholla here. In other words, you may sometimes see a plant that is 100 percent one or the other, or you may sometimes see a plant that is a mixture of the two.

Cylindropuntia californica is a cactus of the coast and mountains. There are two varieties. The coastal variety is known as Snake Cholla because of its growth pattern. The parkeri variety.is known as Cane Cholla because it tends to grow straight and upward, or Valley Cholla because it is found in valleys.

Distinguishing Cane or Valley Cholla from the more common (in the desert) Gander's Cholla can be a problem. The growth patterns can be identical. The flower colors can be similar or the same. The best way to tell one from the other is to look at the spines and glochids. On a Gander's Cholla, the stems are so covered they are bushy. On the Cylindropuntia californica var parkeri there are noticeably fewer spines. In fact, in some specimens, there are no spines at all.

Cane or Valley Cholla,
Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri

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