
Opuntia Country 3
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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.
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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)
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Opuntia wootonii |

Opuntia wootonii, Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Albuquerque, NM |

Close-up of plant in photo to left
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Opuntia wootonii, Hwy. 6, Belen, NM, March 2006, still in winter condition, "brevispina" type
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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 |
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Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM
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Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM, March 2006
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Opuntia wootonii, Belen, NM
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Opuntia wootonii, apparently once cultivated, in vactant lot, Belen, NM
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Opuntia wootonii, close-up of plant to left
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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
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Opuntia wootonii, near Carrizozo, NM, May 2006 |

Opuntia wootonii, near Carrizozo, NM, May 2006
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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
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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
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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
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Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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Possible Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii |

Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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Possible Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii |

Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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Opunta wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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Opuntia wootonii
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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)
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Close-up of Opuntia wootonii at left |

Close-up of Opuntia wootonii at far left |

Opuntia wootonii
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Opunta microcarpa, about 50 miles east of El Paso, TX, along Hwy 62/180, grows with O. wootonii |

Opuntia microcarpa, close-up of fruit |
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