Comments on: A Cactus Tree of Some Sort . . . http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/ Our Unique Perspectives on Life and Politics Tue, 22 May 2012 02:23:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Crotalus http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29360 Crotalus Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:57:23 +0000 http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29360 That's the way those "jumpers" propagate, so it should be very easy to start and grow. The joint either falls off the plant naturally, or an animal (or human) brushes against it, the joint hooks on by sharp (ouch!) barbed spines, and easily detaches from the parent plant. Later, it falls off, (or you fling it off with a pair of sticks) and it roots where it lands. And yes, that gives the impression that the cactus has jumped on you. Have fun with it, but remember; give this one some room. It is a small tree. Nice thing about var. mammillata is the spines are a lot less ferocious. It's much easier to handle. That’s the way those “jumpers” propagate, so it should be very easy to start and grow. The joint either falls off the plant naturally, or an animal (or human) brushes against it, the joint hooks on by sharp (ouch!) barbed spines, and easily detaches from the parent plant. Later, it falls off, (or you fling it off with a pair of sticks) and it roots where it lands. And yes, that gives the impression that the cactus has jumped on you.

Have fun with it, but remember; give this one some room. It is a small tree. Nice thing about var. mammillata is the spines are a lot less ferocious. It’s much easier to handle.

]]> By: Damsel http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29359 Damsel Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:19:40 +0000 http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29359 Thanks Crotalus! I knew you'd know. I've seen a lot of these around town. One of our new neighbors has offered a clipping but didn't tell us the name. We have plenty of cholla naturally around the house but not this one. Maybe we'll try it. Thanks Crotalus! I knew you’d know. I’ve seen a lot of these around town. One of our new neighbors has offered a clipping but didn’t tell us the name. We have plenty of cholla naturally around the house but not this one. Maybe we’ll try it.

]]> By: Cap'n Bob http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29357 Cap'n Bob Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:30:33 +0000 http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29357 Thanks for the informative comment Crotalus! Damsel knew that you would have some information. Jim, I got this from <a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylindropuntia_fulgida' rel="nofollow">WikiPedia</a>: <blockquote>The "jumping cholla" name comes from the ease with which the stems detach when brushed, giving the impression that the stem jumped onto you. Often the merest touch will leave a person with bits of cactus hanging on their clothes to be discovered later, when either sitting or leaning on them.</blockquote> Thanks for the informative comment Crotalus! Damsel knew that you would have some information.

Jim, I got this from WikiPedia:

The “jumping cholla” name comes from the ease with which the stems detach when brushed, giving the impression that the stem jumped onto you. Often the merest touch will leave a person with bits of cactus hanging on their clothes to be discovered later, when either sitting or leaning on them.

]]> By: drjim http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29356 drjim Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:36:15 +0000 http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29356 Why do they call them 'jumpers'? Do they tend to start growing where they weren't expected? Why do they call them ‘jumpers’? Do they tend to start growing where they weren’t expected?

]]> By: Crotalus http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29355 Crotalus Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:18:51 +0000 http://capnbob.us/blog/2011/03/31/4201/#comment-29355 Heh! Thanks for the vote of confidence, Damsel! That is indeed a cholla. It's Cylindropuntia fulgida var. mammillata, known as Chain-Fruit Cholla. Notice how the fruits never ripen, but sprout new flowers and fruits at their ends. The much spinier variety, var. fulgida, is known as the feared Jumping Cholla, and it also has the chain-fruit peculiarity. Cylindropuntia bigelovii, the Teddy Bear Cholla, is also known as a "jumper". When I told you about the Desert Christmas Cactus, I had forgotten that the chollas are segregated into the genus "Cylindropuntia", while the original genus "Opuntia" is now reserved for the flat-pads, such as the Beavertail Cactus and the Prickly Pears. My bad. Heh! Thanks for the vote of confidence, Damsel! That is indeed a cholla. It’s Cylindropuntia fulgida var. mammillata, known as Chain-Fruit Cholla. Notice how the fruits never ripen, but sprout new flowers and fruits at their ends. The much spinier variety, var. fulgida, is known as the feared Jumping Cholla, and it also has the chain-fruit peculiarity. Cylindropuntia bigelovii, the Teddy Bear Cholla, is also known as a “jumper”.

When I told you about the Desert Christmas Cactus, I had forgotten that the chollas are segregated into the genus “Cylindropuntia”, while the original genus “Opuntia” is now reserved for the flat-pads, such as the Beavertail Cactus and the Prickly Pears. My bad.

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