Please ID this cactus + tips for removing the spines

[LivistonaFan]

I am asking this for an acquaintance. 

This cactus toppled over and she tried to stop the fall. She now has more than 10 spines in her palm. Are there any hazards to consider by removing them? Can cactus spines be poisonous?

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/6/2020 at 1:20 PM, LivistonaFan said:

I am asking this for an acquaintance. 

This cactus toppled over and she tried to stop the fall. She now has more than 10 spines in her palm. Are there any hazards to consider by removing them? Can cactus spines be poisonous?

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Thinking Pachycereus..  

As far as removing spines..  luckily, these should be easy since the spines themselves don't possess downward facing, sawtooth-like grooves that help them stay attached to skin, clothing, etc.  ..And no, there are no "poisonous" cactus spines. The only thing one might be cautious of is that the spines can collect dust/ bacteria which might enter the wounds they create.. You can apply something like Hydrogen Peroxide / Neosporin after removing any spines ( w/ Tweezers ) to help prevent any potential infection.  Get stuck by my Cacti all the time w/ out issue.

While this rarely happens, there are cases where you might talk to a doctor if spines are difficult to remove/ lodged deeply under the skin.

Hope this helps.

[Darold Petty]

During my infrequent forays into the Sonoran desert I have been attacked by various members of the Opuntia genus.  These have tiny spines called glochids.  They are so small as to be difficult to remove with tweezers.  I gently press duct tape against the affected area and this helps remove the glochids.  Expensive duct tape has better 'stickiness' than budget brands. 

[xpeditions]

Just pray you never try to catch a Cholla cactus.... 

[Darold Petty]

  On 8/6/2020 at 3:39 PM, xpeditions said:

Just pray you never try to catch a Cholla cactus.... 

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They jump over the road to attack me !  

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/6/2020 at 3:02 PM, Darold Petty said:

During my infrequent forays into the Sonoran desert I have been attacked by various members of the Opuntia genus.  These have tiny spines called glochids.  They are so small as to be difficult to remove with tweezers.  I gently press duct tape against the affected area and this helps remove the glochids.  Expensive duct tape has better 'stickiness' than budget brands. 

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Tape, ..Glue works well to remove 'em as well. 

Kind of funny when i think about it but walk around in the desert in sandals most of the time and never get stuck by anything, even out in the area i hiked/surveyed a few times this spring where there are no "defined" trails, and PLENTY of both living and dead Opuntia and Cylindropuntia, ( aka Cholla ) scattered everywhere, a lot of it often hidden in calf- high grass.. 

Get a pair of tennis shoes and have my first experience being hugged by a Teddy Bear ( Cholla/ Cylindropuntia ), ..and find a 4"  Spine either from a Saguaro or Barrel Cactus lodged in the sole of one of the shoes when i got home that day..

Aside from those two, getting fingers stuck by any of the recurved -spined Fishhooks ( Mammillaria, species of some other Genera as well ) isn't an enjoyable experience either.. Spines aren't barbed, so they don't lodge in the skin.. and aren't so brittle that they break apart easily.  Trick w/ getting un-stuck is you have to slowly back them out the way  they came in while trying to keep your other fingers from getting snared also.. Fun, but annoying ..and slightly painful, lol

[Butch]

  On 8/6/2020 at 3:39 PM, xpeditions said:

Just pray you never try to catch a Cholla cactus.... 

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As a 4-5 yr old I grabbed two handfuls, to give the "pretty plant" to my mom... We were on a cross country trip from CA to FL in about 1952-53, and no glue or duct tape for many, many miles.... I still remember it... And as a fisherman, I've had to remove fish hooks from my body too many times to count.

Butch

Edited August 6, 2020 by Butch

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/6/2020 at 8:40 PM, Butch said:

As a 4-5 yr old I grabbed two handfuls, to give the "pretty plant" to my mom... We were on a cross country trip from CA to FL in about 1952-53, and no glue or duct tape for many, many miles.... I still remember it... And as a fisherman, I've had to remove fish hooks from my body too many times to count.

Butch

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Yes to the fish hooks as well, lol.. Though it's been awhile since i have done any fishing, was actually digging around through boxes looking for my old collapsible pole a few days ago.

As far as the " extra nasty " cacti, have a few Opuntias but only a couple are those i handle very carefully when/if needed..  Only have a spineless form of Diamond Cholla, and what is often called Christmas Cholla.. which is relatively spineless also. Won't ever add the spinier ones though the burnt Orange and Maroon flowered forms of Buckhorn Cholla keep tempting me, lol

An unknown to me at the time - hybrid Mesquite i planted a couple years back is actually more dangerous than any of the Cacti.. Spines produced along some of the branches as they grow can reach about 3-4" in length and are almost as hard as nails.. Got whacked in the Temple when trimming it last year and the wound took 3 weeks to stop hurting when touched/ showing the bruise left behind afterward..  I'd rip it out and plant another " Son of Beast " if i wasn't moving.  Spines on the big 'Squite (  What i always refer to as " ..The Beast " ) and seedling i germinated/ planted from it are tiny, maybe 1/2 inch in length. Not fun to step on barefoot, but much less dangerous than the other one...

[Gonzer]

I've always thought the best name ever given to a cactus to describe it's purported dangers belongs to Echinocactis texensis; The Texas Horse Crippler. Pretty descriptive.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/7/2020 at 9:33 AM, Gonzer said:

I've always thought the best name ever given to a cactus to describe it's purported dangers belongs to Echinocactis texensis; The Texas Horse Crippler. Pretty descriptive.

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Grusonia just sounds nasty.. Especially w/ a species that uses the name invicta. Stepping on anything called Devil's Club, Cursed/ Dagger Cholla doesn't sound pleasant lol.. 

Imagine if various Cacti actually produced some sort of toxic coating on.. or transferred something like that through hollow centered spines..  " Rattlesnake's Tongue / Creeping Death " would be cool common names though.

[Gonzer]

  On 8/7/2020 at 3:50 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Grusonia just sounds nasty.. Especially w/ a species that uses the name invicta. Stepping on anything called Devil's Club, Cursed/ Dagger Cholla doesn't sound pleasant lol.. 

Imagine if various Cacti actually produced some sort of toxic coating on.. or transferred something like that through hollow centered spines..  " Rattlesnake's Tongue / Creeping Death " would be cool common names though.

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[Darold Petty]

'Creeping Death', a great name for a punk band ! 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/8/2020 at 3:02 PM, Darold Petty said:

'Creeping Death', a great name for a punk band ! 

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It's also a song originally written by Kirk Hammett of Metallica when he was part of another band called Exodus..  Never used on that band's albums and was called " Dies by His Hand ".  A reference to the 10th Plague of Egypt.

[Gonzer]

  On 8/8/2020 at 3:02 PM, Darold Petty said:

'Creeping Death', a great name for a punk band ! 

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'Creeping Death' was what we used to call the long arduous trek to the bathroom after consuming copious quantities of those refreshing beverages; Colt 45 Malt Liquor and Mickeys Bigmouth.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Gonzer

[DoomsDave]

  On 8/6/2020 at 4:47 PM, Darold Petty said:

They jump over the road to attack me !  

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A friend had a piece of cholla follow him home and cuddle in his bed . . . .