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 ganderi (C. B. Wolf) Rebman & Pinkava, J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 33: 150. 2001

Opuntia ganderi (Cylindropuntia ganderi) has been considered as a variety of O. acanthocarpa, but many botanists now recognize it as a distinct species.

Opuntia ganderi (Cylindropuntia ganderi) is a plant of extreme southern California, and is perhaps widespread in Baja California. The plant is common in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The greenish yellow flowers may be tipped with red or reddish brown. A technical description of the species is provided by the Flora of North America (online).

The San Diego Museum of Natural History reports, "This species is quite similar to the C. californica (Cane/Valley Cholla) complex because both have dry, spiny fruits and yellow flowers, but differs by exhibiting a strictly ascending growth habit and heavily spined, bur-like fruits. Gander's Cholla was originally classified as a subspecies of C. acanthocarpa (Buckhorn Cholla). However, since C. ganderi lacks the red filaments and variable perianth color, which are characteristic of C. acanthocarpa, they probably share no close evolutionary relationship."

The reader is referred to "Plants of Southern California: Chollas," for a more complete discussion of the various Cylindropuntia of California (and adacent areas).