Grusonia kunzei

(Rose) Pinkava

J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 32: 50. 1999.

Common names: Kunze’s club-cholla
Illustrated
Basionym: Opuntia kunzei Rose Smithsonian Misc. Collect. 50: 505. 1908
Synonyms: Corynopuntia stanlyi var. kunzei (Rose) Backeberg Corynopuntia stanlyi var. wrightiana (E. M. Baxter) Backeberg Grusonia wrightiana Engelmann ex B. D. Jackson Opuntia stanlyi var. kunzei (Rose) L. D. Benson Opuntia stanlyi var. peeblesiana L. D. Benson Opuntia wrightiana
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 121. Mentioned on page 95, 119, 120.

Shrubs, forming mats, to 50 cm, in series of usually 2–4 stem segments. Roots diffuse. Stem segments curved and narrowed at base, 10–15 × 2.5–4 cm; tubercles prominent, 20–30 mm, narrow, 4–6 times longer than wide, obscured by interlacing spines; areoles 5–6 mm in diam.; wool gray-white. Spines 17–27 per areole, ± uniformly distributed along stems; major 4–6 abaxial spines deflexed, tan with whitish margins, strongly flattened, longest to 4.5 cm; major 4–5 adaxial spines divergent, tan to reddish tan, angled at base, longest subterete, to 5 cm. Glochids few in adaxial portion of areole, yellow, 5–6 mm. Flowers: inner tepals yellow to pale yellow-green, to 15–20 mm; filaments white; style light green to white; stigma lobes white. Fruits sometimes proliferating, lemon yellow to yellow, 40–75 × 15–40 mm, fleshy, very spiny, glochidiate; spines (4–)6–17 per areole, straw yellow to brown, 12–20 mm, retrorsely barbed; areoles (40–)45–70. Seeds yellowish white, 4–5 ×3.5–4.5 mm, smooth. 2n = 44.


Phenology: Flowering spring (Apr–Jun).
Habitat: Sonoran Desert, silty, sandy, or gravelly flats and hills
Elevation: 200-600 m

Distribution

V4 234-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Mexico (Baja California, Sonora).

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Grusonia kunzei"
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Rose) Pinkava +
Opuntia kunzei +
Kunze’s club-cholla +
Ariz. +, Mexico (Baja California +  and Sonora). +
200-600 m +
Sonoran Desert, silty, sandy, or gravelly flats and hills +
Flowering spring (Apr–Jun). +
J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. +
Illustrated +
Corynopuntia stanlyi var. kunzei +, Corynopuntia stanlyi var. wrightiana +, Grusonia wrightiana +, Opuntia stanlyi var. kunzei +, Opuntia stanlyi var. peeblesiana +  and Opuntia wrightiana +
Grusonia kunzei +
Grusonia +
species +