Opuntiads of the USA

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Opuntia wootonii Griffiths

Opuntia wootonii has been named variously. At one time it was considered to be a hybrid of O. engelmannii and O. phaecantha, another report described it as a variety of O. engelmannii.

Dave Ferguson has described the distribution of this Opuntia on the New Mexico Rare Plants Website. Typical specimens from south-central New Mexico, or the greater El Paso, TX area are easily differentiated from other Opuntia by spine characteristics. However, more northerly representatives of this mostly New Mexico species (Belen, Bernalillo, San Ysidro) are less spiny and distinctive.

Some individuals within the species are modestly spined, especially in comparison with other individuals that have long, russet-colored spines. Despite the differences between individuals the variously spined forms may occur together in a population. Our Editor-at-Large has studied the plants extensively and reports that varietal status is not indicated for the plants with different "looks." Rather than varieties that might be found in different geographic locations or environmental niches, O. wootonii seems to be a variable species with lots of variation in any given population.


Opuntia wootonii, Las Cruces, NM area	Close-up of plant to left	Opuntia wootonii, Las Cruces, NM area
Opuntia wootonii, Las Cruces, NM area	Close-up of fruit from plant on plant to left	Opuntia wootonii from type locality (right), Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Albluquerque, NM (O. valida left)
Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii, Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Albuquerque, NM	Close-up of plant in photo to left
	Opuntia wootonii, Hwy. 6, Belen, NM, March 2006, still in winter condition, "brevispina" type	Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM, March 2006, still in winter condition, "brevispina" type
Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM, March 2006, brevispina type	Opuntia wootonii, Hwy. 6, Belen, NM, March 2006, brevispina type	Close-up of image to left
Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM	Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM, March 2006	Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM
Opuntia wootonii, apparently once cultivated, in vactant lot, Belen, NM	Opuntia wootonii, close-up of plant to left	Opuntia wootonii, vactant home lot, Belen, NM
Opuntia wootonii, vacant home lot, Belen, NM	Different view of cladode to the left	Opuntia wootonii, west of Carrizozo, NM, on Hwy. 380
Opuntia wootonii, west of Carrrizozo, NM, May 2006	Opuntia wootonii, close-up of plant in image to the left , May 2006	Opuntia wootonii, close-up of plant in image at far left, May 2006
Opuntia wootonii, near Carrizozo, NM, May 2006	Opuntia wootonii, near Carrizozo, NM, May 2006	Opuntia wootonii, general area of Carrizozo, NM, May 2006
Opuntia wootonii, near Carrizozo, NM, 2006	Opuntia microcarpa, east of El Paso, TX, growing with O. wootonii and O. engelmannii	Packrat midden among Yucca baccata plants, near Carrizozo, NM, May 2006, with O. camanchica and O. wootonii
Opuntia engelmannii, east of El Paso, TX, can be confused with O. wootonii	Opuntia engelmannii, east of El Paso, TX, growing with O. wootonii and O. microcarpa	Opuntia englemannii, east of El Paso, TX
Possible Opuntia wootonii	Possible Opuntia wootonii	Possible Opuntia wootonii
Opuntia wootonii, about 50 miles east of El Paso, TX, east of El Paso, TX, along Hwy 62/180	Opuntia engelmannii, can be confused with O. wootonii , about 50 miles east of El Paso, TX, along Hwy 62/180, grows with O. wootonii	Possible Opuntia wootonii
Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii	Possible Opuntia wootonii
Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii
Possible Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii

Opuntia wootonii	Opunta wootonii	Opuntia wootonii
Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii
Opuntia wootonii	Opuntia wootonii, close-up of plant at left	Opuntia wootonii, close-up of plant at far left
Opuntia valida (left), Opuntia wootonii (right)	Close-up of Opuntia wootonii at left	Close-up of Opuntia wootonii at far left
Opuntia wootonii	Opunta microcarpa, about 50 miles east of El Paso, TX, along Hwy 62/180, grows with O. wootonii	Opuntia microcarpa, close-up of fruit