Desert Christmas Cactus
Opuntia leptocaulis
Range
Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of western Arizona, east New Mexico, Texas and south to northern Mexico.
Habitat
Desert slopes, washes and flat areas from 1,000 to 4,000 feet.
Flowers
Greenish-yellow to bronze flowers up to 1 inch wide, bloom along the stems May and June.
Fruit
Fleshy, bright red, 1/2-inch-long globular fruits remain on the stems throughout the winter.
Description
Christmas Cactus, also known as Tsejo, Christmas, Cholla, Pencil-joint Cholla, Holycross Cholla, Diamond Cactus and Darning Needle Cactus, has the most slender stems of all southwestern chollas.
Many tangled, spiny branches sprout thin, 1/4-inch stems forming a bush up to 3 feet high in the open, up to 6 feet when growing among desert trees. One long gray or tan spine up to 2 inches long grows from each small cluster of reddish bristles.
Although there are cultivated varieties of cactus and euphorbia called Christmas Cactus, the native Opuntia leptocaulis acquired the name because its bright red fruits provide a colorful contrast to the brown deserts during the Christmas season.
-- A.R. Royo
Photo tips
Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
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