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Scientific Name
Synonyms
Family
Common Names
Origin
Cultivation
Naturalised Distribution
Habitat
Habit
Distinguishing Features
Stems and Leaves
Flowers and Fruit
Reproduction and Dispersal
Environmental Impact
Other Impacts
Legislation
Management
Similar Species
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Click on images to enlarge

infestation (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

infestation (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

habit (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

habit (Photo: David Albrecht)

habit in flower (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

habit in fruit (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

stem segments with raised humps and spines in clusters (Photo: David Albrecht)

close-up of younger stems showing the cylindrical leaves, which are quickly shed (Photo: David Albrecht)

flowers (Photo: David Albrecht)

mature fruit (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

Cylindropuntia imbricata

Scientific Name

Cylindropuntia imbricata (Haw.) F.M. Knuth

Synonyms

Cactus imbricatus Haw.
Cereus imbricatus Haw.
Cylindropuntia imbricata (Haw.) F.M. Knuth var. imbricata
Opuntia arborescens Engelm.
Opuntia cylindrica auct. non (Lam.) DC
Opuntia decipiens DC.
Opuntia imbricata (Haw.) DC.
Opuntia imbricata (Haw.) F.M. Knuth subsp. imbricata

Family

Cactaceae

Common Names

candelabrum cactus, cane cactus, cane cholla, chain link cactus, chain-link cactus, cholla, devil's rope, devil's rope pear, imbricate cactus, imbricate prickly pear, rope pear, tree cholla, walkingstick cholla

Origin

Native to southern USA (i.e. Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona) and northern Mexico.

Cultivation

Rope pear (Cylindropuntia imbricata) has been widely cultivated in the past, particularly in drier inland regions.

Naturalised Distribution

This species has a scattered distribution throughout the eastern parts of Australia. It is most common in the inland and sub-coastal regions of southern Queensland and New South Wales. Also recorded from north-western Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Also naturalised in eastern and southern Europe, northern and southern Africa and southern South America.

Habitat

This species is mostly found in semi-arid environments, but also occurs in drier sub-tropical and warmer temperate regions. It is a weed of roadsides, disturbed sites, pastures, open woodlands, rangelands and grasslands.

Habit

An upright (i.e. erect) or sprawling fleshy (i.e. succulent) plant. It usually grows 1-2 m tall, but occasionally reaches up to 3 m in height.

Distinguishing Features

Stems and Leaves

Stems are much-branched, and consist of a series of hairless (i.e. glabrous), cylinder-like (i.e. sub-terete) segments that tend to hang downwards as they become older. These dull green or greyish-green coloured stem segments (30-40 cm long and 30-50 mm thick) have a series of short raised humps (i.e. tubercules), each 2-5 cm long, that give the stems a rope-like appearance. The stem segments also have small raised structures (i.e. areoles), most of which bear several (3-15) pale yellow or whitish-coloured barbed spines (20-30 mm long). The spines are partially covered in a papery sheath at first.

The small fleshy (i.e. succulent) leaves are cylindrical (i.e. terete) or cone-shaped (i.e. conical). These leaves (8-24 mm long) are quickly shed from the plant (i.e. they are caducous) and are often not present or readily apparent.

Flowers and Fruit

The showy purple or reddish-purple coloured flowers (up to 6 cm long and 3-9 cm across) are borne singly on a fleshy base towards the ends of the stem segments. They have large numbers of 'petals' (most of these are actually petal-like structures known as petaloids), each 15-35 mm long, and numerous yellow stamens. Flowering occurs mostly during late spring and summer.

Immature fruit are green in colour, but turn yellowish as they mature. These fruit (25-70 mm long and 20-40 mm wide) are fleshy (i.e. succulent), spineless, egg-shaped (i.e. obovoid) berries with deeply depressed tops. They are covered in small bumps (i.e. tubercules) and have 18-30 tiny raised structures (i.e. areoles). The seeds (2.5-4 mm long) are yellow to light brown in colour and sub-circular (i.e. sub-globose) or angular in shape.

Reproduction and Dispersal

This species reproduces by seed and vegetatively via stem fragments (i.e. stem segments may become dislodged and produce roots).

Stem fragments are spread by becoming attached to animals, footwear and vehicles. They may also be dispersed by flood waters and in dumped garden waste. The fruit are eaten by birds and other animals, and the seeds then spread in their droppings.

Environmental Impact

Rope pear (Cylindropuntia imbricata ) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, and as a potential environmental weed in some other states. During recent surveys, it was listed as a priority environmental weed in two Natural Resource Management regions and was included among the top 200 invasive plants of south-eastern Queensland.

This cactus has the potential to become a widespread and abundant pest throughout inland Queensland, is common around mining settlements in the western areas of New South Wales, and is considered to pose a threat to semi-arid grasslands in Victoria.

Other Impacts

Rope pear (Cylindropuntia imbricata) is a very thorny cactus which can cause injury to humans and to animals. Infestations can reduce the livestock carrying capacity of pastures and can become thick enough to impede access.

Legislation

This species is declared under legislation in the following states and territories:

Management

For information on the management of this species see the following resources:

Similar Species

Rope pear (Cylindropuntia imbricata) is similar to snake cactus (Cylindropuntia spinosior), jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia prolifera), Hudson pear (Cylindropuntia rosea), thistle cholla (Cylindropuntia tunicata) and boxing glove cactus (Opuntia fulgida var. mamillata). It is also relatively similar to Harrisia cactus (Harrisia martinii) and tiger pear (Opuntia aurantiaca). These species can be distinguished by the following differences: