Extra-spiny cholla which is as dangerous as it is ornamental. Do not consider planting this cactus anywhere near traffic, especially children or pets. The spines are quite sharp and barbed, like other chollas. The segments are easily detached and travel if given the chance, thus the name "jumping cholla". Removing the segments from the skin tends to be quite painful and can lead to further injury. Somebody thought the spines looked fuzzy and cuddly from a distance, thus the name teddy bear cholla, but that name is rather ironic given the nature of the beast. Plants in nature typically have a main stem that turns a dark color near the base. Plants in cultivation, not subjected to traffic, tend to be rather bushier near the base.

Flowers are pale yellow, green, white, or shades of red and appear in late winter and spring. Fruits are green to yellow and spineless, often sterile due to fertility problems with mostly triploid plants. From the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, as well as the Lower Colorado Desert in the rain shadow of far NE Baja California and far SE California. Var. ciribe (formerly its own species) is endemic to the Sierra La Giganta of Baja California Sur; it has fewer spines, more firmly attached segments, and proliferating fruit, relying more on sexual reproduction.

Roots are used medicinally by the Seri to make a diuretic tea. Fruits collect moisture from nighttime condensation and may provide a valuable source of water for birds during times of drought.

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Range: southeastern California to western Arizona; south to northwestern Mexico. Additional info: the plant's spines stick instantly and hold tightly by means of minute, backwardly directed barbs.

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