Opuntiads of the USA

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Grusonia parishii (Orcutt) Pinkava

Grusonia parishii is found in scattered locations in the Mojave Desert and adjacent portions of the northern Sonoran Desert. The plant has also been described under the names Opuntia parishii and O. stanlyi var. parishii etc. (see Commentary by Dave Ferguson).

The plants are uncommonly encountered in small populations at lower elevations, perhaps 1000 ft. to 3000 ft. They grow in fine soils or sandy-gravelly soils, and not on rocky soils or on steep slopes. The prostrate plants may occur singly or in small populations scattered over an acre or two; individual plants may be small with just a few branches or may spread over a meter or more, branching and rebranching. .

The Flora of North America online (efloras.org) provides a nice technical description of the species. Another technical description of G. parishii is provided at the Jepson Online Interchange for California Floristics.

The images below were taken in June, 2007. The plants were found in habitat between Searchlight, NV and Boulder City, NV, at about 2,500 ft. elevation. Fifty or more plants were observed in a casual inspection of several acres of land adjacent to Highway 95. Many areas near Searchlight, NV were explored, but plants were found only at a single location.

Grusonia parishii, north of Searchlight, NV, June 2007.	Grusonia parishii, north of Searchlight, NV, June 2007	Close-up of plant at left, June 2007
Single plant with multiple branches, Grusonia parishii	Close-up of plant at left, June 2007, north of Searchlight, NV, June 2007	Extreme close-up of plant at far right
Grusonia parishii, June 2007	Grusonia parishii, with man's boot for size comparison, June 2007	Grusonia parishii plants (center of photo), with dead Yucca schidigera trunks in background
Grusonia parishii habitat, north of Searchlight, NV, June 2007	Grusonia parishii habitat, about 2,500 ft. elevation, north of Searchlight, NV	Yucca schidigera and Larreya tridentata, growing with Grusonia parishii, June 2007
Opuntia basilaris, north of Searchlight, NV, with Grusonia parishii	Close-up of plant at left, June 2007, north of Searchlight, NV	Extreme close-up of plant at far left
	Cucurbita palmata (coyote melon), growing in vicinity of Grusonia parishii, near Searchlight, NV, June 2007