Cylindropuntia spinosior

Erect spreading shrub to 1–2 m high, 1–3 m across, much-branched above the cylindric (to c. 15cm diam.), woody trunk. Terminal cladodes cylindric, tuberculate, 10–16(–25) cm long, (1–)1.5–3 cm diam., glabrous, green to slightly grey-green; tubercles prominent, 0.8–1.6 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, 2–5 mm high; areoles 0.5–0.9 cm apart, apical on tubercles, filled with short dense cream to pale yellowish brownish wool and small white or pale tan glochids; spines 6–24 per areole (more numerous on older branches), spreading, (0.4–)0.8–1.5 cm long, 0.2–0.5 mm wide near base, white to pale grey, each covered by a papery, white sheath. Flowers 4–5 cm diam.; sepaloids greenish with reddish purple margins; petaloids spreading, magenta to reddish purple; staminal filaments magenta, anthers pale yellow; style pale magenta, stigma pale yellow to white; hypanthium tuberculate. Fruit obovoid, deeply depressed at apex, 2.5–4 cm long, 2–2.5 cm diam., strongly tuberculate, with few deciduous spines, bright yellow, succulent, solitary, not proliferating. Flowers late spring–summer.