Succulents of the Avra Valley Watershed,
west of Tucson

CACTACEAE

Cereoides
Carnegiea gigantea  (=Cereus giganteus) Saguaro
Peniocereus greggii  (=Cereus greggii) Desert Night Blooming Cereust
Stenocereus thurberi (=Cereus thurberi) Organ Pipe Cactus

Hedgehogs
Echinocereus fendleri v. robustus (=E. fasciculatus) Robust Hedgehog
Echinocereus engelmannii v. acicularis Strawberry Hedgehog
Echinocereus nicholii (=E. engelmannii v. nicholii) Golden Hedgehog
Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. melanacanthus Claret Cup Hedgehog

Barrels
Ferocactus wislizenii Fishhook Barrel
Ferocactus cylindraceus (=F. acanthodes) Spiny or California Fire Barrel
Echinocactus horizonthalonius v. nicholii Turk's Head or Blue Barrel

Pincushions
Mammillaria grahamii v. microcarpa (=M. microcarpa) Fishhook Pincushion
Mammillaria thornberi Thornber's Pincushion
Mammillaria viridiflora Fishhook Pincushion
Coryphantha scheeri v. robustispina Pima Pineapple Cactus

Chollas
Opuntia acanthocarpa v. major  Buckhorn Cholla
Opuntia versicolor  Staghorn Cholla
Opuntia spinosior  Cane Cholla
Opuntia fulgida v. fulgida Jumping or Chain-fruit Cholla
Opuntia fulgida v. mamillata Jumping or Chain-fruit Cholla
Opuntia bigelovii Teddybear Cholla
Opuntia arbuscula Pencil Cholla
Opuntia leptocaulis Desert Christmas Cholla
Opuntia X kelvinensis (=O. fulgida X O. spinosior) hybrid cholla
Opuntia X tetracantha (=O. kleiniae) hybrid cholla
Opuntia acanthocarpa X O. versicolor hybrid cholla
Opuntia leptocaulis X O. acanthocarpa hybrid cholla
Opuntia leptocaulis X O. fulgida hybrid cholla
Opuntia leptocaulis X O. spinosior hybrid cholla
Opuntia spinosior X O. versicolor hybrid cholla

Prickly Pears
Opuntia phaeacantha v. discata (=O. engelmannii) Engelmann's Prickly Pear
Opuntia phaeacantha v. major Sprawling Prickly Pear
Opuntia chlorotica Pancake Prickly Pear
Opuntia macrocentra (=O. violacea v. macrocentra) Long-spined Prickly Pear
Opuntia santa-rita (=O. violacea v. santa-rita) Santa Rita Prickly Pear (exotic)
Opuntia lindheimeri v. Iinguiformis Cow Tongue Prickly Pear (exotic)
Opuntia ficus-indica Indian Fig Prickly Pear (exotic)
Opuntia microdasys Bunny Ears or Polka-dot Cactus (exotic)

 AGAVACEAE
Agave deserti  Desert Agave
Agave americana  Century Plant (exotic)
Yucca elata Soaptree Yucca
Yucca arizonica (=Y. bacatta v. brevifolia, or Y. thornberi) Banana Yucca
Dasylirion wheeleri Sotol or Desert Spoon
Agave schottii Shindagger or Amole

CRASSULACEAE
Graptopetalum rusbyi (clumping rosettes look like miniature hen and chicks)

*MORE SUCCULENTS  (. . . more or less, that is!)

FOUQUIERIACEAE
Fouquieria splendens  Ocotillo

BURSERACEAE
Bursera microphylla  Elephant Tree

AIZOACEAE
Trianthema portulacastrum  Horse Purslane (mat-forming summer ephemeral)

PORTULACACEAE
Calyptridium monandrum Sand Cress (mat-forming winter/spring ephemeral)
Portulaca oleracea Common Purslane (mat-forming exotic summer ephemeral)
Portulaca parvula Purslane (summer ephemeral)
Portulaca suffrutescens Purslane (clumping summer ephemeral)
Portulaca umbraticola Purslane (mat-forming summer ephemeral)

 **A LAST FEW SUCCULENTS (really stretching the definition of a succulent!)

CRASSULACEAE
Crassula connate (=Tillaea erecta) Pygmy Weed (tiny winter/spring ephemeral)

CUCURBITACEAE
Cucurbita digitata Coyote Melon (tubeous perennial vine)
Tumamoca macdougalii Tumamoc Globeberry (tuberous perennial vine)

FABACEAE
Hoffmeisteria glacuca  Hog Potato (forms succulent (?) tubers)

PORTULACACEAE
Calindrinia cilliata Red Maids (mat-forming winter/spring ephemeral)
Talinum aurantiacum Flame Flower (root perennial with succulent leaves)
Talinum paniculatum Pink Baby Breath (root perennial with succulent leaves) 

EUPHORBIACEAE
Euphorbia eriantha Desert Poinsettia (marginally succulent stemmed subshrub)
Jatropha cardiophylla Limberbush (marginally succulent stemmed perennial)

Download a PDF version of Succulents of the Avra Valley Watershed.