Home/Species/ Blue Diamond Cholla

Cylindropuntia multigeniculata

(Clokey) Backeberg

Blue Diamond Cholla

G2Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G2ImperiledGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

High - mediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140833

Element CodePDCAC0D1N1

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

CITESAppendix II

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderCaryophyllales

FamilyCactaceae

GenusCylindropuntia

Synonyms

Cylindropuntia x multigeniculata(Clokey) Backeb. (pro sp.)Opuntia whipplei var. multigeniculata(Clokey) L. BensonOpuntia x multigeniculataClokey (pro sp.)

Other Common Names

blue diamond cholla (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

Morphological and cytological studies by Baker (2016) concluded that "Cylindropuntia multigeniculata represents a group of populations with a number of distinctive morphological traits that suggest it is not of hybrid origin and that it is worthy of taxonomic recognition at the species level." This taxon was recognized at the varietal level as Opuntia whipplei var. multigeniculata by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (in 1999 Notice of Review candidate list), and was so recognized by Kartesz (1994). Kartesz (1999) treated it as an interspecific hybrid between O. echinocarpa and O. whipplei (under the name Opuntia x multigeniculata) as did Flora of North America (2003) (under the name Cylindropuntia x multigeniculata). It was removed from the list of candidates for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act because conservation actions have been taken which address the threats to the plant (USFWS 2001), not because of debate over whether it is a hybrid.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2021-07-30

Change Date2008-10-07

Edition Date2021-07-30

Edition AuthorsLAMBERT, A., KMW-NVHP (1997), rev. L. Morse (2001), rev. J. Morefield (2008), rev. A. Tomaino (2021)

Threat ImpactHigh - medium

Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences6 - 20

Rank Reasons

Cylindropuntia multigeniculata is known only from the northeastern Mojave desert in central Clark County, Nevada, and adjacent Mohave County, Arizona. Threats include gypsum mining and illegal collection.

Range Extent Comments

Cylindropuntia multigeniculata is known only from the northeastern Mojave desert with scattered patches across central Clark County, Nevada, and adjacent Mohave County, Arizona (Baker 2005, 2016).

Occurrences Comments

There are 7 Nevada occurrences and 3 Arizona occurrences in the NatureServe Network Database (as of July 2021). Baker (2016) shows 6 dots in Nevada and 2 in Arizona.

Threat Impact Comments

Threats include gypsum mining and illegal collection (Baker 2005, NatureServe Network Database as of July 2021). In Nevada, the species is impacted at one site by a gypsum mine and is vulnerable to horticultural collecting, but most sites are under public protective management (Nevada Natural Heritage Program 2007). "Road construction and mining have been the prominent historical impacts. These impacts, along with potential commercial development, may increase in the near future, especially at the type locality" (Baker 2005).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

The habitat of this species is rocky slopes in desertscrub communities (Baker 2005). It is found on soils derived from limestone, basalt, schist, and granite (Baker 2005).

Terrestrial Habitats

Shrubland/chaparralDesert

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN2

Province	Rank	Native
Arizona	S2	Yes
Nevada	S2	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Restricted - small	Unknown	—
3 - Energy production & mining	Large (31-70%)	Serious - moderate	—
3.2 - Mining & quarrying	Large (31-70%)	Serious - moderate	—
4 - Transportation & service corridors	Small (1-10%)	Unknown	—
5 - Biological resource use	Pervasive (71-100%)	Moderate - slight	—
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plants	Pervasive (71-100%)	Moderate - slight	—

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Nevada (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bald Mtn.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	41,598

References (8)

Baker, M. A. 2005. Current Knowledge and Conservation of Cylindropuntia multigeniculata (Cactaceae), the Blue Diamond cholla. Reno: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada State Office, unpublished status report prepared by Southwest Botanical Research, Chino Valley, Arizona.
Baker, M.A. 2016. Morphological and cytological analyses in Cylindropuntia (Cactaceae): the taxonomic circumscription of C. echinocarpa, C. multigeniculata, and C. whipplei. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 10(2): 325-343.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2003b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 4, Magnoliophyta: Caryophyllidae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 559 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Kearney, T.H., R.H. Peebles, and collaborators. 1951. Arizona flora. 2nd edition with Supplement (1960) by J.T. Howell, E. McClintock, and collaborators. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1085 pp.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2001. 30 October 2001. Review of plant and animal species that are Candidates or proposed for listing as Endangered or Threatened, annual notice of findings on recycled petitions, and annual description of progress on listing actions; proposed rule. Federal Register 66(210):54808-54832.
Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins (eds.) 1993. A Utah flora. 2nd edition. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah. 986 pp.

Cylindropuntia multigeniculata

Habitat

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