A Cylindropuntia?

I also think it's a Cylindropuntia, possibly C. fulgida

Brad

Thanks for the info. Looks right to me.

SE,

You'll find that this plant often will grow in a cristate manner. If the stems start flattening and growing into 'waves', you've got a crested plant.

Hi -

What causes some plants to grow in a 'cristate manner'?

Thanks.

Tom

There are three common types of growth point (apical meristem) mutations: cresting, monstrosity, and variegation. Cresting means that the growth point elongates, spreading out along a line. Monstrosity means that the direction of growth is random, making the plant grow bumps and lumps. Variegation means that the growth point has lost the ability to make chlorophyll, creating unpigmented tissue. These mutations can occur spontaneously (very rare), or be inherited from the mother plant as a pup (clone). These defects are only rarely heritable through seeds. The cause of these mutations can be radiation (cosmic rays), chemical damage, or an error in the reproduction of DNA.

Brad

To me, this looks a lot more like a bunch of Opuntia seedlings (O. basilaris, O karwinskiana, maybe O. macrocentra) planted together, rather than a cristate Cylindropuntia. Most Opuntia seedlings start out with rounded stems, then only develop flat pads as they get older and start to branch. Cylindropuntias don't branch much from the base, unlike the plant in this pic.

-R