Opuntiads of the USA

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Opuntia dulcis Engelm.

Opuntia dulcis has often been described as a variety of O. phaeacantha. However, throughtout their overlapping ranges the two species are differentiable and do not appear to be varieties of a single species. Opuntia dulcis is a more upright plant with distinctive spination.

Opuntia dulcis, mature plant.	Opuntia dulcis, west of San Ysidro, NM a few miles.	Opunta dulcis, late winter color and hydration,New Mexico, 2006.
Multiple Opuntia dulcis plants, rocky south-facing slope, Cibola National Forest, near Albuquerque, NM, March, 2006.	Close-up, pad of Opuntia dulcis, Cibola National Forest, near Albuquerque, NM, March, 2006.	Close-up, pad of Opuntia dulcis, Cibola National Forest, near Albuquerque, NM, March, 2006.
Close-up, pad of Opuntia dulcis, Cibola National Forest, near Albuquerque, NM, March, 2006.	Close-up, aereoles of Opuntia dulcis, Cibola National Forest, near Albuquerque, NM, March, 2006.	Opuntia dulcis, cultivated plant, Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Albuquerque, NM, March, 2006.
Opuntia dulcis, a few mies west of San Ysidro, NM.	Close-up, pad of Opuntia dulcis, a few mies west of San Ysidro, NM, late winter.	Opuntia dulcis, a few mies west of San Ysidro, NM, late winter.
Opuntia dulcis, Cibola National Forest, ca. 6,000-6,500 ft. elevation.	Opuntia phaecantha, Placitas, NM, can be confused with O. dulcis	Close-up of previous image, Opuntia phaecantha
Opuntia dulcis, May 2006, south of Artesia NM, with O. valida, O. engelmannii, O. gilvescens, O. orbiculata, and Echinocactus	Opuntia dulcis, close-up of plant at left	Close-up of plant at far left
Opuntia dulcis, May 2006, south of Artesia NM, with O. valida, O. engelmannii, O. gilvescens, O. orbiculata, and Echinocactus	Close-up of plant to left	Close-up of plant at far left
Close-up of plant in row above, south of Artesia, NM	Opuntia dulcis, Alamogordo, NM, 2004	Opuntia dulcis, Placitas, NM
Opuntia dulcis-like, found in southwest UT along Interstate 15 (near St. George, UT), plants were never identified properly in the field but flower is typical O. dulcis	Opuntia dulcis-like, close-up of garden plant at immediate left	Close-up of cladode on Opuntia dulcis-like plant at far left, plants were woody and not prostrate, similar to O. dulcis and other O. dulcis-like plants
Opuntia dulcis-like, Kingman, AZ, June 2007	Probably Opuntia dulcis, Kingman, AZ, just east of town on Hualapai Road	Possibly Opuntia dulcis, unusual cladode shape, Kingman, AZ