Cholla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cholla
Cylindropuntia kleiniae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Opuntioideae
Tribe:	Cylindropuntieae
Genus:	Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth
Species
See text
Synonyms
Opuntia (Cylindropuntia) Engelm. Grusonia (Cylindropuntia) (Engelm.) G.D.Rowley

Cylindropuntia is a group of cacti often called chollas. These plants are native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Chollas are famous for their spines that have tiny barbs. These barbs make the spines stick very easily to skin, fur, or clothing.

When many cholla plants grow together, they are sometimes called "cholla gardens." The plants in these groups often share the same DNA. This happens because new plants can grow from pieces that break off an older plant.

What Makes Cholla Cacti Special?

Cholla cacti used to be considered a part of the Opuntia group. However, scientists decided to give them their own group, called Cylindropuntia. This was because of two main differences:

• Cholla stems are shaped like cylinders (like a tube). Prickly pear stems are flat.
• Cholla spines have a thin, papery cover. Prickly pear spines do not.

There are about 35 different kinds of Cylindropuntia species. They grow naturally in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico, and the West Indies. Some types of cholla have also been brought to places like South America and South Africa.

Meet Some Cholla Species

Here are some of the interesting cholla species you might find:

Scientific Name	Common Name	Picture
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa	Buckhorn cholla
Cylindropuntia alcahes	Clavellina cholla
Cylindropuntia arbuscula	Arizona pencil cholla
Cylindropuntia bigelovii	Teddy-bear cholla
Cylindropuntia californica	California cholla
Cylindropuntia caribaea
Cylindropuntia cholla	Chain-link cholla
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa	Silver cholla
Cylindropuntia fosbergii	Hoffmann's teddybear cholla
Cylindropuntia fulgida	Jumping cholla
Cylindropuntia ganderi	Gander cholla
Cylindropuntia hystrix
Cylindropuntia imbricata	Cane cholla
Cylindropuntia kleiniae
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis	Desert Christmas cholla
Cylindropuntia molesta	Agujilla
Cylindropuntia munzii
Cylindropuntia prolifera	Coastal cholla
Cylindropuntia ramosissima	Branched pencil cholla
Cylindropuntia rosea
Cylindropuntia spinosior	Tasajo cholla
Cylindropuntia tesajo
Cylindropuntia tunicata	Sheathed cholla
Cylindropuntia versicolor	Staghorn cholla
Cylindropuntia whipplei	Rat-tail cholla
Cylindropuntia wolfii	Wolf's cholla

See also

In Spanish: Cylindropuntia para niños