Opuntiads of the USA

Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm.

Introduction (or Jump to the the images)

Herein, O. lindheimeri is treated as a species separate and distinct from O. engelmannii. The plants are easily distinguished when grown side-by-side and typically do not overlap in their natural ranges. O. lindheimeri is a plant of deeper soils and more mesic conditions, whereas O. engelmannii is a true desert plant of rocky soils. Powell and Weedin (2004) have reported that O. lindheimeri is hexaploid and that other, similar plants, can be found in Texas that are diploid or tetraploid. Thus, perhaps there is much yet to learn about O. lindheimeri-like plants.

Read about O. lindheimeri in The Cactaceae, Volume 1 ( the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1919, Britton, NL and Rose JN). In contrast to the treatment provided herein, Powell and Weedin (Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Areas, 2004, pages 172-181) consider this taxon to be a variety of O. engelmannii.

A Checklist of differences between O. lindheimeri and O. engelmannii

1. The younger pads of typical O. lindheimeri tend to be a bit less woody and "softer" or "greener" in appearance.

2. O. lindheimeri spines are typically yellow, or range to shades of orange-yellow or may have reddish hues. O. engelmannii spines range from white, to tan, to brownish tints. O. engelmannii spines may (not often) be yellow, but are not rich canary yellow or shiny yellow.

3. The spines are more translucent in O. lindheimeri, whereas O. engelmannii spines are more opaque; O. lindheimeri spines appear more shiny or plastic-like, whereas O. engelmannii spines are chalky.

4. O. engelmannii spines are typically darker at the bases than are O. lindheimeri spines. The bases of O. engelmannii spines may be dark red-brown, brown or almost black, whereas in O. lindheimeri the base of the spines are seldom true brown but may be red-brown, dark plum, rust-brown, or even trending towards pink shades.

5. In some populations of O. lindheimeri the longest spines are usually near the lower edge of the pads (nearest to ground level), and when pads have only a few spines such may be in the same (lowermost) position. In contract, O. engelmannii the longest spines of O. engelmannii are typically found at the distal end of the pad; when there are few spines they tend to be in the areoles nearer the end.

6. The annular markings of O. lindheimeri spines are more apparent that such markings in O. engelmannii.

7. O. lindheimeri fruits are generally pear-shaped with a rounded umbilicus; they tend to have a smooth surface and are typically red when ripe. O. engelmannii fruits are spherical or subspherical, darker and less red in color, and with a more rugose surface; the umbilicus is usually more depressed into the end of the fruit.

8. Plants with orange or red flowers are not uncommon in O. lindheimeri but are rare in O. engelmannii. However, yellow flowers of either species may change to orange shades, especially on the day after anthesis.

9. O. engelmannii fruits are sweet and pleasant tasting, whereas those of O. lindheimeri are sour and not very sweet, sometimes almost noxious.

10. O. lindheimeri is primarily a plant of Texas, east of the Pecos River. In contrast O. engelmannii is typically found west of the Pecos River.

Technical Description

Nomenclature: O. lindheimeri is often treated as a variety of O. engelmannii, and sometimes has been referred to as O. texana. Powell and Weedin (2004) report an assemblage of names that may have been applied to O. lindheimeri at one time or another, perhaps because of misidentification errors. Almost any large cactus in Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona has probably been misidentified or misunderstood over the years and O. lindheimeri is no exception.

Shrubs: pads and branches growing from a central trunk, sometimes erect or sometimes sprawling, plants may be 3 ft-tall and 3-4 ft-across, large plants can have multiple branches, large plants may be 6 ft-tall with branches sprawling along the ground to make a plant 15 ft-across, exceptionally large plants over 11 ft-tall have been observed in south Texas or in garden irrigated settings, the tendency is to "fail" to make a tree-shape--branches eventually droop under their own weight.

Cladodes: obovate, near-circular, ovate, or sometimes elliptical, typically 10-15 cm in width x 20-25 cm in length, 2-4(5) cm thick, green or sometimes blue-green.

Glochids: brown or yellow-brown or honey-colored, 3-8 mm, often around entire perimeter of areole or unequally positioned throughout areole (not tufted).

Spines: typically clear yellow, especially distal half, often darkening at base to pink-brown (or brown, brown-pink, or brown-yellow), spines are shiny or lustrous (not chalky), may have annular striations, 1-2(3) inches long, often acilular at tips, 1-4(6) at most areoles, some deflexed, some porrect, in some plants, spination is heavier (or spines are longer) on the edges of pads nearest to the soil (the lower edge).

Flowers: large, to 6-8 cm across, clear yellow, or opening yellow and changing to orange over time, or sometimes opening orange (rarely red), stigma grass-green or dark-green, stamens yellow.

Fruits: without spines, sometimes pyriform or sometimes barrel-shaped, with shallow umbilicus, red or purple, typically 4-5 cm long x 2-3 cm wide, smaller or larger fruits can be found.

Opuntia lindheimeri, growing along beach, Corpus Christi, TX, February 2008 (photo by Mike Burnett)	Close-up showing details of plants at left, note characteristic yellow color of spines (photo by Mike Burnett)	Rockport, TX, Opuntia lindheimeri in the hollow of a tree
O. lindheimeri, yellow and orange flowers, Del Rio, TX, April 2005	O. lindheimeri, George West, TX, new pad growth, April 2004	Orange flower, O. lindheimeri, Greorge West, TX, April 2004
Close-up, orange flower, O. lindheimeri, George West, TX	Exceptionally large O. lindheimeri (didn't look like O. alta) 10-12 ft. tall (3m), near Zapata, TX, April, 2005	Close-up, "tall" O. lindheimeri, near Zapata, TX, April, 2005
O. lindheimeri, near Beeville, TX, February 2005	O. lindheimeri, near Rio Grande City, TX, March, 2005, copyright Mike Burnett, 2005	Close-up, O. lindheimeri near Rio Grande City, TX, March, 2005, copyright Mike Burnett, 2005
Opuntia lindheimeri on left, with O. leptocaulis on right (near fence post)	Opuntia lindheimeri, near Columbus, TX	Opuntia lindheimeri, near Columbus, TX
Opuntia lindheimeri, near Columbus, TX	Opuntia lindheimeri, near Columbus, TX, new pad with leaves	Spiny Opuntia lindheimeri, south-central Texas
Presumed Opuntia lindheimeri, garden plant, orgially found along Mississippi Gulf Coast (but with yellow stigma--unusual for O. lindheimeri)	Flower of plant at left, unusual yellow stigma	'Cow tongue' form of Opuntia lindheimeri (photo by Dave Ferguson)
Blue flowers of Herbertia lahue, adjacent to Opuntia lindheimeri and O. leptocaulis near LaGrange, TX (April-May, 2007)	Coryphantha species, adjacent to Opuntia lindheimeri and O. leptocaulis, LaGrange, TX	Opuntia lindheimeri, after a grass burn, near Sonora, TX, March, 2008 (photo by Bill Rogers)
Opuntia lindheimeri, Pace Bend Park, Travis County, TX	Close-up of plant at immediate left, April 2008	Close-up of plant at far left, flower color yellow-orange, with multiple unopened buds
Cultivated Opuntia lindheimeri, plant originally found as ocean-proffered cladode on Gulf Coast of Mississippi