Opuntiads of the USA
(by Joe Shaw and Dave Ferguson)
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Opuntia ballii Rose
See the discussion of O. pottsii. Neither O. ballii nor O. pottsii var. ballii is formally recognized herein. However, many exceptionally attractive salmon-colored plants from west Texas are grown in Texas gardens and are known as O. pottsii var. ballii (see Weniger, 1984). The plants are easy to grow, being fairly indifferent to too much rain if provided with excellent drainage. Likely, they are very cold hardy too.
Plants on photographed on this page were collected near Ft. Stockton, TX and are grown in gardens in flower pots (8 to 12 inch wide) in Houston, TX. Flowers vary from pale- to dark-salmon shades and may be 1(2) to 3 inches across.
The original description of O. ballii (by Rose, 1911) is transcribed below.
 O. pottsii var. ballii, copyright Dave VanLangen, 2006 |
 Pale-flowered variant |
 O. pottsii var. ballii, close-up showing red filaments, copryight Dave VanLangen, 2006 |
 O. pottsii var. ballii, copyright Dave VanLangen, 2006 |
 O. pottsii var. ballii, 1 year-old pad with spines |
From: Rose. Contr. Nat. Herb. 1911. vol. 13:309 Plants low spreading, joints obovate; 6 to 7 cm long, thickish, pale green; spines brownish, a little flattened, usually ascending or erect, the longest 4 to 6 cm long; flowers probably small; fruit about 2 cm long, elavate in outline, glaucous, spineless. Type U.S. National Herbarium No. 615400, collected by C.R. Ball at Pecos, Texas, August 1909 No. 1506. Mr. E. O. Wilson tells me that this species is common in the eastern part of New Mexico. I have a specimen of his plant from the top of the Guadalupe Mountains collected August 3, 1909. Not closely resembling any species known to me. |
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