Opuntiads of the USA

(by Joe Shaw and Dave Ferguson)

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Opuntia Country with
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Opuntia bentonii Griffiths 1911

(Formerly Opuntia Species, Unknown No. 3)

This species has been identified as O. bentonii as defined by David Griffiths. Read the original description of this species in the Missouri Botanical Garden Annual Report, pp. 25-36, 1911.

O. bentonii has been found growing in sand dunes adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. It has not been found away from the immediate vicinity of salt water, but an intensive search has not been carried out by the authors of this Web site. O. bentonii has been found on Galveston Island, on Bolivar Peninsula, and at Sea Rim State Park near Port Arthur, TX.

The plants are not tall, but they can become spreading-large and may rise above the soil by 3-4 pads. They seldom reach 3 feet in height, but in habitat they are taller than Opuntia anahuacensis. O. bentonii and O. anahuacensis can be fround growing together on coastal dunes, but O. anahuacensis has also been found inland (e.g., in sandy soils along the San Jacinto River near the Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX).

O. bentonii plants resemble O. lindheimeri, but are distinct in several ways. Whereas O. lindheimeri can become quite large and tall in garden cultivation, Opuntia bentonii remains under 2 foot-tall. Also, the stigmas of O. bentonii are pale in contrast to the green stigmas of O. lindheimeri, and the seeds of O. bentonii are larger than those of O. lindheimeri. Moreover, the two different Opuntia can be found growing side by side on Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula where they are easily differentiated from each other.


Opuntia bentonii, Galveston Island, within city limis of Galveston.	Opuntia bentonii, Galveston Island, within city limis of Galveston.	Opuntia bentonii, Galveston Island, within city limis of Galveston.
Opuntia bentonii, Galveston Island, close-up of pad, late summer 2005	Opuntia bentonii, close-up, nearly spherical fruits, spines present on surface of upper pad	Opuntia bentonii, ocean water visible in distance
Opuntia bentonii, Sea Rim State Park, late summer 2005	Opuntia bentonii, Sea Rim State Park, late summer 2005	Opuntia bentonii flower and buds, September 2005, most other plants flowered 3-4 months earlier
Opuntia bentonii, flower, Sea Rim State Park, September, 2005	Opuntia bentonii, flower, Sea Rim State Park, September, 2005	Opuntia bentonii, fruit with pitted umbilicus
Opuntia bentonii in fruit, Galveston Island, TX	Opuntia bentonii, Sea Rim State Park, TX, September, 2004	Opuntia bentonii, adjacent to beach
Opuntia bentonii, smaller plant, Sea Rim State Park, TX, 2005	Same plant as previous image	Opuntia bentonii, smaller plant, in foredunes at Sea Rim State Park, 2005
Opuntia bentonii, same plant as previous image in row above	Opuntia bentonii, close-up, spines showing clearly	Opuntia bentonii, Galveston Island, September, 2005, nearly spherical fruit
Opuntia bentonii fruit	Opuntia bentonii fruit with short stipe	Opuntia bentonii fruit
Opuntia bentonii fruit, showing umbilicus	Opuntia bentonii, large plant 4-5 ft. across	Opuntia bentonii (left), with O. anahuacensis (right), note relative absence of spines on O. anahuacensis cladode
Opuntia bentonii cladode, collected Galveston Island, 2005		Yucca aloifolia, naturalized on sand dunes at Sea Rim State Part, TX, with Opuntia bentonii