Common Name: Branched Pencil Cholla

General Information

Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a spiny, evergreen, succulent, intricately branched shrubby or tree-like cactus; it can grow around 50 - 200cm tall, and is often wider than it is tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is grown as an ornamental in semi-arid regions[].
Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a widespread and reasonably common species with no major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids - these are barbed spines that are usually small to minute and are very sharp and brittle. The glochids are very easily dislodged when the plant is touched and can penetrate the skin where, because of their barbs, they become stuck and are very difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable irritation and discomfort[, ].
Opuntia species can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, especially in older parts of the plant. Perfectly alright in small quantities, foods containing oxalic acid should not be eaten in large amounts since it can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - California, southern Nevada, Arizona, northwest Mexico (Baja California, sonora)

Habitat

Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland[]. Mojave and Sonoran deserts, washes, flats, and bajadas, growing on sandy loam, desert pavement and stony volcanic substrates; at elevations from 50 - 1,100 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sandy or very well-drained soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5[]. Plants must be kept fairly dry in winter but they like a reasonable supply of water in the growing season[]. A position at the base of a south-facing wall or somewhere that can be protected from winter rain is best for this plant. Requires warmth and plenty of sun. Plants tolerate considerable neglect.
The outer wall of the fruit is actually formed from stem material and, in many species of Cylindropuntia, once detached from the plant will form roots and grow into a new plant. This is often the main way in which a plant will reproduce[

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[]. Sweet and gelatinous[]. Lean and insipid[]. The unripe fruits can be added to soups etc, imparting an okra-like mucilaginous quality[]. The ellipsoid to stipitate-ellipsoid fruit is dry at maturity; it is around 15 - 30mm long and 10 - 15mm in diameter[]. The fruit can hang on the plant all year round[]. Be careful of the plants irritant hairs, see the notes above on toxicity.

Stem segments - raw, cooked or dried for later use[, ]. Watery and very mucilaginous[]. A traditional method of cooking is first to boil, them, then strip of the outer skin and spines, fry them in oil with onions and chillis and season them with salt and pepper, making a slimy, acid tasting, palatable green.[]. The cylindrical segments are around 20 - 100mm long and 4 - 10mm in diameter[].

Seed - briefly roasted then ground into a powder[]. It is also used as a thickener[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The following notes are for O. ficus indica. They almost certainly also apply to this species[].

A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or mixed with oil to make candles[]. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter.
Cuttings of leaf pads or fruits at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.