Appearance
The above-ground part consists of much-branched cylindrical stems, the end joints being about 3 cm in diameter. The joints, unlike those of some chollas, are hard to detach.The stems are highly tubercular with a pattern of long oval lumps. A typical height is about 1 m, but exceptionally it can grow to 4.6 m with a "trunk" diameter of 25 cm. The width is often similar to or somewhat greater than the height. The stems are armed with clusters of up to about 10 red to pink spines, which may be 3 cm long and are barbed and sharp enough to easily penetrate leather gardening gloves.
The stems and fruits also have many spines or "glochids" about 1 mm long that can detach and stick in the skin.
There are two kinds of stems or "cladodes": long plagiotropic, bearing flowers at the ends and falling off after a few years, and long orthotropic, primarily serving for support and transport and staying on the plant.
Distribution
The cane cholla's range is the arid regions of Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas, south to Durango, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí. It occurs at altitudes from 1,200 to 2,300 m and is hardy for a cactus.Uses
The plants are sometimes grown as ornamentals. Dead stems decay to leave a hollow wooden tube with a pattern of lengthwise slits. These are sometimes used as canes or to make curios. The Roman Catholic Penitentes of New Mexico formerly tied fresh stems to their bare backs in Holy Week processions. The Zuni people use the ''imbricata'' variety ceremonially.References:
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