Opuntiads of the USA

(by Joe Shaw and Dave Ferguson)

Mission

Opuntia Species

Opuntia Country No. 1
Opuntia Country No. 2
Opuntia Country No. 3
Opuntia Country No. 4
Opuntia Country No. 5

Opuntia Country with
Daiv Freeman

Opuntia County, Big Bend

World Opuntiads

Peru Cactus Trip

Northern Patagonia Cactus Trip

Northern Patagonia Sights

Notes from the Editors

Culture Notes

Literature

Editorial Board

News

WWW Links

Agave Photos

Opuntia aurea E.M. Baxter

Read part of the original description of O. aurea reproduced here from the from Cactus and Succulent Journal (No. 5, vol 6 p.489-490, 1933). O. aurea, was originally described as a close relative of O. basilaris, which it is not.

Typical plants are spineless, or have one or a few spines at the distal end of cladodes. Flower color is variable: yellow, pale pink, or magenta. Some photographs on this page show hybrids of O. aurea with O. polyacantha.

Opuntia aurea grows in southern Utah and northern Arizona. Additional information can be found at the Flora of North America Online.

Opuntia aurea	Opuntia aurea, Utah, about 4,000 ft	Cladodes from several Opuntia aurea-Opuntia polyacantha hybrid plants, note pink flowers
Opuntia aurea, southeast Utah	Cladodes from several Opuntia aurea-Opuntia polyacantha hybrid with exceptional flowers	Cultivated Opuntia aurea in Conroe, TX
New cladode, cultivated Opuntia aurea	Close-up of cladode in image at immediate left	Year-old cladode, cultivated Opuntia aurea
New cladode, cultivated Opuntia aurea	Close-up of cladode in image at immediate left	Opuntia aurea (photo by Luc Bulot)
Opuntia aurea images below this point were provided by Craig Howe.
Opuntia aurea flower	Large Opuntia aurea plant	Close-up if image at immediate left
Opuntia aurea	Opuntia aurea flower	Opuntia aurea
Opuntia aurea	Opuntia aurea	Opuntia aurea
Close-up of image in row above, far right	Close-up of image in row above, far right	Close-up of image in row above, far right
Opuntia aurea	Opuntia aurea plant