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 martiniana (L. Benson) Parfitt

A single plant was observed near Kingman, AZ along East Hualapai Mountain Road. The cladodes are generally round, with long spines arising from the aroles. The spines are typically pale-yellow at the tips, changing to yellow, and then yellow-brown, and finally brown or yellow-brown at the base. Overall, because of stature and yellow spines, O. martiniana has similarity to O. azurea and O. macrocentra.

Opuntia martiniana, Sorting the Name

Dave Ferguson

I hope to look at the type specimen of Opuntia martiniana sometime, because Benson and Pinkava & Parfitt appear to have used the name for different plants, and the proper use of the name hinges on what this specimen really is. Benson seems to have been re-describing Opuntia gilvescens, and most of his published photos are of that species (some of the color photos are of other species, likely all O. phaeacantha). None of Benson’s photos are of the plant Pinkava calls Opuntia martiniana. It strikes me as odd that Benson would misinterpret his own species, but it's possible. In theory the type specimen should match his photos and should be O. gilvescens.

Pinkava considered the type specimen to be the same as yellow-spined, semi-erect plants that are most similar to O. azurea and O. macrocentra. The yellow-spined plant is found in the mountains of the Kingman area in Arizona, and is very distinctive. Earle called the plant "O. superbospina", but that name doesn't fit either, being of something low-growing plant, with very long spines of another color (probably long-spined O. phaecantha or perhaps O. tortispina). Benson applied the name O. superbospina to much larger plants of something very close to O. valida from the Kingman area, this was incorrect as well - the original description and type specimen of the name O. superbospina (another Griffiths name) doesn't fit that sort of plant either.