California

Opuntias primarily from California. Few of these are expected to be cold hardy.

Opuntia covillei

Opuntia covillei, Coville Shrub Pricklypear

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Opuntia covillei, close view of spines.   Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Photograph (Britton and Rose, 1919); Painting; Drawing (JJ Thornber; The Fantastic Clan of the Cactus Family) Original Description What is Opuntia covillei? Opuntia covillei is a medium-sized prickly-pear of inland southern California, forming angular, spreading shrubs and frequent thickets. Plants commonly reach […]

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O. oricola - Camarillo 5-1-11 (18)

Opuntia oricola, Pacific Pancake Pricklypear

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Philbrick, Cactus and Succulent Journal (U.S.) 36(6): 163, 1964 Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium Original Description What is Opuntia oricola? Opuntia oricola is a medium-sized, easy-to-recognize prickly pear cactus found in coastal California.  Details O. oricola pads are 15 to 26 cm long and 12 to 19

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Opuntia littoralis

Opuntia littoralis, Coastal Pricklypear

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(Engelmann) Britton & Rose, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 50: 529, 1908 Lectotype; Syntype; Lectotype; Lectotype; Lectotype; Lectotype Original Citation What is Opuntia littoralis? Opuntia littoralis is a California prickly pear cactus originally described as a possible variety of O. engelmannii, but the two species are not closely related. O. littoralis is hexaploid.  Details O. littoralis plants

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Opuntia semispinosa

Opuntia semispinosa, Partly-spined Pricklypear

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Griffiths, Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 43(2): 89, 1916 Holotype Original Citation What is Opuntia semispinosa? Opuntia semispinosa is a coastal prickly pear cactus from southern California and Mexico that has been variously lumped into O. occidentalis, O. littoralis, or even other Opuntias of Southern California. We accept it as a stand-alone species. Details Plants may reach 1 or

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Opuntia vaseyi

Opuntia vaseyi, Apricot Pricklypear

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  Coulter, Contributions from the U. S. National Herbarium 3: 432, 1892-1896 Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (holotype, deposited as O. magenta); Lectotype (O. mesacantha vaseyi); Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Holotype (O. intricata); Isotype (O. intricata);  Original Description (as O. mesacantha vaseyi) What is Opuntia vaseyi? Opuntia vaseyi is a low, spreading, bushy prickly pear cactus found

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Opuntia rugosa, San Dimas Pricklypear

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Griffiths, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 27(6): 27, 1914  Holotype; Isotype; Painting Original Description What is Opuntia rugosa? Opuntia rugosa is an uncommonly found prickly pear cactus that was reported from the Pomona area of California in the early 1900s and apparently never studied again.  Details The biggest feature, that for which it is named, is

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