Austrocylindropuntia

Morphological Summary

Genus of cylindrical opuntias from the Andes and Pacific coasts of South America, with some 10–12 accepted species. Distinguished from Opuntia by their clearly cylindrical (not flattened) stems and persistent rudimentary leaves. They occupy an extraordinarily wide altitudinal range, from the arid Pacific coasts to the high-Andean summits (4,500 m), including the singular high-Andean opuntias covered in woolly hairs (A. floccosa) and coral-like opuntias with flattened segments (A. clavarioides). Widely used as living fences and as a source of fruits in the Andes.