Comments on: Opuntia mesacantha, Southeastern Low Pricklypear

By: Joseph

Joseph — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 22:58:08 +0000

In reply to Matt.

Hi,
Thanks for visiting our website.
O. mesacantha is not dying out. But, it does occur sporadically and perhaps in smallish colonies. I will send you contact info for someone who might be able to help you.

Joe

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 20:09:53 +0000

Ive been looking sooo long for O. Mesacantha, It really has been a search. I live in Alabama so I know that it’s here, I go into the woods anytime I can to try and find any but I never do, is the O. Mesacantha variety dying out?

By: Joseph

Joseph — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:05:30 +0000

In reply to Henk.

Hi,
Thanks for visiting our website.
First, I don’t count areoles to determine a species. But. O. humifusa can easily have 3 or 4 across a pad.
Second, it is hard to know about the thickened roots. After 30 years almost any Opuntia will have thick roots.
Yellow flowers suggest O. humifusa, O. mesacantha, or O. lata.
The winter form (prostrate) occurs in all three but is very pronounced in O. humifusa.

Just from your description, I think it might be O. humifusa.

You can email a few pictures to me and Dave at jshaw@opuntiads.coom and davef@opuntiads.com. We might have a more solid guess if we saw pictures.

Joe

By: Henk

Henk — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 13:05:47 +0000

dear team,
thank you for creating this wonderfully elaborate website.
This is my go to place for my daily fix. Great work.
I have a question for you.
I have a plant that was bought by me some 30 years ago as Opuntia humifusa.

I now have (based on your expert details) some issues with this name for this particular specimen:
-It has only 3 areolas on the diagonal of even the largest pads.
-It forms thickened roots at the base of the plant (15 to 20 mm thick).
-The flowers are yellow and the plant forms no spines.
-Glochides are grayish brown.
-Shape and color of the cladods would fit O. humifusa however (new) pads are not glabrous.

Are there known plants of O. meascantha that form thickened roots or do you have any other suggestions?
I know from Backenberg that O.lata is known to have thickened roots however my plant is fully prostrate in winter and the cladods are not scalloped at all.

Looking forward to your reply.