Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures ( Cacti & Desert ), 0 by htop

htop wrote:
Tasajillo, agujilla, tasajo, Christmas cholla, desert Christmas cactus (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis), Cactaceae Family, native, perennial, blooms May through June

Tasajillo is a short (to 2 feet), sparsely branched shrub which sometimes grows much larger when supported by other shrubs. Each areole has one 2" long spine. The 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide blooms are usually pale yellow and open in late afternoon for about 3 hours and are closed by dark.. One might surmise that this fact has a relationship with a pollinator active in the late afternoon. However, the only visitors seem to be honeybees, hummingbirds and one type of the cactus bees. Even though the blooms are pale yellow, they do not appear to attract moths. When camouflaged by other plants, it usually is not noticed unless it has its distinctive bright red fruit. The fruit persists through the winter; hence, the English name, "Christmas cholla". The bright colored fruit resemble Christmas bulbs or Christmas ornaments. Pencil cholla (O. arbuscula) resembles tarjaillo; however, it is a larger, has a distinct trunk and has stems that are 1/4 inch in diameter.

Distribution:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Texas&statefip...

For more information, see its entry in the PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59963/index.html