Comments on: Opuntia semispinosa, Partly-spined Pricklypear

By: Sam Andersen

Sam Andersen — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:49:34 +0000

These pictures are terrific, thanks so much for posting them. I did have a quick comment!

It seems as though a good deal of your photos come from this one plant in Camarillo, CA. This is great because the plant is extremely unique. Rhomboid cladodes, radial patches without stones, and a clear look at the whole plant. However, there are some other photos that don’t match this description that well within this sideshow, and have characteristics that overlap significantly with O. littoralis.

Furthermore, I’m sure that within both species there exist variations, which blurs the lines even further. My question though, is what are the definite characteristics which seperate the two species? Rhomboid cladodes certainly stand out – but not all of the O. semispinosa have those either!

By: Joseph

Joseph — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:25:10 +0000

In reply to Rachel L Smith.

Hi,
It is a bit difficult to know for sure. Opuntia ficus-indica sometimes grows wild in Southern California.

JOe

By: Rachel L Smith

Rachel L Smith — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 05:20:58 +0000

I have been hiking past this for a few years in the San Pasqual Valley, I thought it was just an odd variation of a prickly pear! It is getting rather large now, and almost no noticeable spines. It is the only one I’ve noticed in this area.

By: Rachel L Smith

Rachel L Smith — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 05:19:59 +0000