Opuntiads of the USA

(by Joe Shaw and Dave Ferguson)

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Opuntia pinkavae BD Parfitt, 1997

O. pinkavae is described in the Flora of North America online.

Article by Dave Ferguson:

Opuntia pinkavae

Long before the publication of the name "pinkavae", Opuntia pinkavae was distributed under the name Opuntia kaibabensis; however, that name was never officially published. It is a member of the dry-fruited "Polyacantha" group, but differs enough that it is usually actually moderately easy to distinguish in the field. It can be confused occasionally with Opuntia pottsii and Opuntia aurea, both of which with it grows. It is unusual among small species in having an octaploid ploidy (with 88 chromosomes). Most members of the O. polyacantha group are diploid or tetraploid (though those named fragilis, debreczyi, and columbiana have been counted as hexaploid).

O. pinkavae is a small plant with compact clumps of pads normally growing from a central root system, composed of a branching thickened taproot (or clump of such roots). The pads are smooth, bluish green, a bit tuberculate (raised around the areoles) with rather small areoles set fairly far apart and bearing zero, one, or sometimes a few stiff-slender usually pale (whitish to yellowish) spines. The flowers are pink with green stigmata (sometimes to magenta, or approaching white, but apparently never orange or yellow). The fruits are dry, seeds relatively large and irregular in outline (similar to those of O. polyacantha).

The species is found in the Arizona Strip (Utah Dixie) of northwest Arizona and southwest Utah, and north up some of the valleys of southwest Utah perhaps 50 or more miles. It may be in Nevada too, but I haven't seen it there yet. It is a grassland and high desert plant, but on the Kaibab Plateau and near Colorado City and Kanab it sometimes occurs in open Pinyon-Juniper woodland (where it grows at least to 7500 ft elevation). I believe it grows lower than 4300 ft. too, but I would need to check my topo maps to be sure. It can be found growing with several other Opuntia species, varying somewhat with location, including the following: O. polyacantha var. erinacea, O. polyacantha var. hystricina, O. aurea, O. nicholii (probably a variety of O. aurea), O. fragilis, O. pottsii, O. tortispina, O. phaeacantha, O. camanchica, O. woodsii, O. chlorotica, O. engelmannii, and probably O. cymochila and others. Also, if you are finding Pediocactus sileri, there is probably Opuntia pinkavae there too.

As for the synonymy of Opuntia basilaris woodburyi under O. pinkavae, this is a mistake. The name "woodburyi" was based on a plant of O. aurea bearing spines, and was definitely not O. pinkavae.