Opuntiads of the USA

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Opuntia valida Griffiths

O. valida is a distinctive species, sometimes lumped with O. engelmannii or O. phaeacantha by some authors. Such lumping is regrettable because the spination and habit of this plant are distinctive. Additionally, in the opinion of the Editor-at-Large, this taxon is distinct from others and does not intergrade in nature.

Editor's Note: The tecnical description will be added in time. For now, please enjoy the images.

Below: Extreme close-up, O. vallida areoles and spines, copyright Mike Burnet, 2006
(click imgage to enlarge further)

Opuntia valida, (garden grown from materials collected at McKittrick Hills, NM) photo copyright Dave Ferguson, 2006	Opunia valida, foothills east of Albuquerque, NM, ca. 6,000 ft. elevation	Opuntia valida, close-up of plant to the left, note dark areoles and dark spines at bases
Opuntia valida, near San Ysidro, NM, along Hwy 550, near northern limit for species	Opuntia valida, about 3 miles west of San Ysidro, NM, along Hwy. 550	Opuntia valida
Echinocereus sp. growing southest of Artesia, NM, near Carlsbad Caverns	Opuntia lindheimeri, cow tongue form reverting to regular growth, at White's City near Carlsbad Caverns	Opuntia valida
Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM, May 2005, drought year	Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM	Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM, May 2005, drought year
Close-up of plant in row above, right	Close-up of plant in row above, right	Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM
Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM, growing with O. engelmannii (O. gregorniana), O. wootonii, O. dulcis, O. orbiculata, and O. phaecantha	Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM	Close-up of plants at left, leftmost plant
Opuntia valida, southwest of Artesia, NM	Close-up of cladode at left	Opuntia valida, southeast New Mexico
Opuntia valida, original plant from Kingman, AZ area	Opuntia valida, Rio Grande Botanic Garden	Close-up, plant at immediate left, note unusual pink color at base of spines
Opuntia valida	Opuntia valida in bud	Opuntia valida, at Cibola National Forest near Albuquerque (above Tramway Road)
Close-up of plant in row above on far left	Opuntia valida, some cladodes showing some atypical sinpation	Close-up of plant at immediate left
Opuntia valida, upright shrub-type growth, growing with Acacia sp., Kingman, AZ	Opuntia valida, dark aroles on single cladode of a plant, Kingman, AZ, June 2007	Opuntia valida, close-up of cladode, Kingman, AZ, June 2007
Opuntia valida, edge view of cladode, Kingman, AZ	Probably immature Opuntia valida, small plant, upright habit, growing in lava, Kingman, AZ	Close-up of cladode on plant at immediate left