walkingstick cactus (Cylindropuntia imbricata spinosior) observed in Big Wash Trail, Oro Valley, AZ, US
iNaturalist: outnabout---
Urban Ecology
Tracking where native cacti like walkingstick cactus are growing helps conservationists and local planners protect desert ecosystems that many Arizona neighborhoods and hiking trails depend on.
Someone out on a hike in Oro Valley, Arizona photographed a walkingstick cactus — a tall, deeply ridged cactus with fierce spines that's native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. The sighting was confirmed as 'research-grade' by the iNaturalist community, meaning enough people agreed on the identification to make it scientifically useful. These kinds of crowd-sourced observations help build a real-time map of where native desert plants are hanging on — or spreading.
Key Findings
A research-grade observation of walkingstick cactus (Cylindropuntia imbricata var. spinosior) was recorded at Big Wash Trail, Oro Valley, AZ.
The sighting contributes a verified geolocation data point to citizen-science biodiversity databases for Sonoran Desert flora.
Big Wash Trail in Oro Valley represents documented habitat for this native cactus species within a peri-urban natural area.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A walkingstick cactus was spotted and verified by the iNaturalist community along Big Wash Trail in Oro Valley, Arizona — a research-grade sighting that adds to our picture of where this spiny desert native is thriving.
Abstract Preview
Research-grade observation of walkingstick cactus in Big Wash Trail, Oro Valley, AZ, US.
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Species Mentioned
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Cylindropuntia spinosior, with the common names include cane cholla, spiny cholla and walkingstick cactus, is a cactus species of the North American deserts.