Opuntiads of the USA

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Opuntia pyrocarpa Griffiths

Opuntia pyrocarpa is a commonly enountered plant in central and north Texas where it typically grows in deep, limestone-derived soils. The plants are pleiomorphic and the spination is irregular. Large and small cladodes can be found on a single plant as well as taller stems along with shorter stems.

The plants are woody but usually don't grow taller than 2-3 ft. They may occur with other species of Opuntia such as O. lindheimeri, O. leptocaulis, O. macrorhiza, O. gilvescens, O. orbiculata, etc.

O. pyrocarpa can create very large plants that spread over 6-8 feet or more, making up for lack of height by achieving breadth. The plants do not typically wilt or shrivel in the winter and can often be seen standing above grasses in cold months. O. pyrocarpa plants can be confused with irregular or unkempt O. lindheimeri plants.

Spines may be gray, yellow, white-yellow, chalky white, or yellow darkening to red-brown at the base. Even on a single plant variable spine lengths and colors may be found. In addition to spine variation, plants can be quite variable in appearance--some seemingly neat and organized and others wild-appearing and much damage by insects. Zero to 3(4) spines may be present on most, or only a few areoles. Some cladodes may lack spines even while the rest of the plant is densely spined.

Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa flowers can darken with age, from canary yellow to orange	Opuntia pyrocarpa flowers can darken with age, from canary yellow to orange
Opuntia pyrocarpa flowers can darken with age, from canary yellow to orange	Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa flowers can darken with age, from canary yellow to orange
Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Close-up of flower at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa flowers can darken with age, from canary yellow to orange
Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa
Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa
Opuntia pyrocarpa flowers can darken with age, from canary yellow to orange	Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa
Opuntia pyrocarpa (Photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa
Opuntia pyrocarpa, Travis County, TX, April 2008	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Travis County (photos this row by Ed Utley)	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Travis County, TX, April 2008
Opuntia leptocaulis, Travis County, TX, April 2008	Opuntia pyrocarpa with fruit (pyriform fruit), near Rising Star, TX, Fall 2005	Opuntia pyrocarpa, growing in shade of small tree
Opuntia pyrocarpa, Pace Bend Park, Travis County, TX, April 2008	Close-up of plant at left	Close-up of plant at far left
Opuntia pyrocarpa, spines unnaturally bleached white (unusual)	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Pace Bend Park, Travis County, TX, April 2008	Second view of plant at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa with yellow spines that resemble spines of O. lindheimeri	Close-up of cladode in image at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Travis County, TX	Close-up of plant at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa (prostrate plant in front) with O. lindheimei (taller plant in rear)
Opuntia pyrocarpa	Opuntia pyrocarpa	Close-up of plant at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa, Reimers Ranch Park, TX	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Reimers Ranch Park, Travis County, TX	Close-up of plant at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa, Reimers Ranch Park, Travis County, TX	Opuntia pyrocarpa-like, garden grown, Rio Grande Botanic Garden, provenance unknown	Opuntia pyrocarpa-like, another view of plant at left
	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Dripping Springs, TX, late winter (February, 2008)	Close-up of plant at immediate left
Opuntia pyrocarpa, February, 2008, Pedernales Falls State Park, TX	Opuntia pyrocarpa, multiple plants half hidden in grass, winter	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Februrary 2008 (winter), Travis County, TX
Opuntia pyrocarpa, February, 2008, Pedernales Falls State Park, TX	Close-up of plant at left	Opuntia pyrocarpa, winter
Close-up of plant in row above, right	Opuntia pyrocarpa, multiple plants in grass, February 2008	Opuntia pyrocarpa, February, 2008, growing with O. lindheimeri (bluer plant at top left with single trunk)
Opuntia pyrocarpa, February, 2008, Dripping Springs, TX	Close-up of image at left	Opuntia pyrocarpa, large plants, winter
Opuntia pyrocarpa, February, 2008, Dripping Springs, TX, large plant 8-10 ft across	Opuntia pyrocarpa, February, 2008, Dripping Springs, TX	Close-up of plant at left
Opuntia pyrocarpa, Austin, TX, Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park	Opuntia leptocaluis (silhouette) growing adjacent to O. pyrocarpa at Pedernales Falls State Park, TX	Opuntia pyrocarpa, Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Opuntia pyrocarpa, Rio Grande Botanic Garden		Opuntia pyrocarpa, Rio Grande Botanic Garden