Origin and Habitat: Locality not stated.

• Cylindropuntia fulgida f. cristata P.V.Heath

• Cylindropuntia fulgida (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth
• Grusonia fulgida (Engelm.) G.D.Rowley
• Opuntia fulgida Engelm.

• Cylindropuntia fulgida var. mamillata (A.Schott ex Engelm.) Backeb.
• Opuntia fulgida var. mamillata (A.Schott ex Engelm.) J.M.Coult.
• Opuntia mamillata A.Schott ex Engelm.

Description: This crested cultivar is astonishing. It is derived from a large Mexican cactus but the cultivar is compact, small, and presents a silhouette made of heavily convoluted folds. The short living grey/green foliage is arranged only at the top of the stem. The spiny grey stem will soon form a fan-shaped or snaky ridged bush reminding of a boa asleep. Even if his form is rare, this cactus is however resistant and easy to grow in an acid draining soil, needs full sun.

Notes: The Cylindropuntia (the cylindrical Opuntias of North-America) can easily be distinguished from Austrocylindropuntia (the cylindrical Opuntias of South-America) Austrocylindropuntia by their spines having a papery sheaths (Austrocylindropuntia spines lack them). Moreover Austrocylindropuntia have cylindrical stems that grow indeterminately, while Cylindropuntia has stems that grow in a single season. The seeds are different too.

Cultivation and Propagation: Crested growth: Unlike 'monstrose' varieties of plants, where the variation from normal growth is due to genetic mutation, crested growth can occur on normal plants. Sometimes it's due to variances in light intensity, or damage, but generally the causes are unknown. A crested plant may have some areas growing normally, and a cresting plant that looks like a brain, may revert to normal growth for no apparent reason. If you have any of the crested part left you need to remove the normal growth and leave the crested part behind this will need to be done regularly.