Opuntia eburnispina is a rarely found prickly pear cactus from Cape Romano, Florida. It may be related to O.humifusa or O.austrina, and some botanists consider that O. eburnispina is synonymous with O.austrina.
Details
O. eburnispina is prostrate, prickly pear, widely branched and forming mats on dune sands. It has tuberous roots. The pads are oval or suborbicular, varying to broadest above middle, thickish, 6 to 13 cm. long, pale green, somewhat shining, especially when young. The leaves ovoid-subulate, 4-5 mm long, pale green, recurved spreading. The spines relatively stout, 2-4 at an areole or sometimes solitary, 1-2 cm. long, ivory white with yellowish tips when young, becoming dark gray, not spirally twisted, greenish when wet.
Flowers are few; the ovary is obconic; the sepals are triangular, green, 5 to 7 mm. long. The flower is clear yellow, 4 to 5 cm wide. The petals are few, narrowly cuneate, often minutely pointed, and the berries obovoid about 2 cm. long or less. The seeds, at (ca. 3 mm), are smaller than those of O.austrina (ca. 5 mm).
Opuntiaabjecta is a prickly pear cactus that occurs in the lower Florida Keys where it grows on bare limestone or where a bit of sand or humus has accumulated.
Details
This Opuntia grows up to 15 cm tall and forms multi-branched mats. The cladodes are 2-8 cm long and thickish. While not fragile, the cladodes are also not firmly attached to each other. The longest spines on this prickly pear may be 4-5 cm. Like O.zebrina and unlike O.pusilla, this cactus has teardrop-shaped leaves. The seeds of O.abjecta are about 4 mm in diameter.
There is typically one yellow flower per cladode. The fruit is gently tuberculate, urn shaped, and rounded at the base.
Both diploid and tetraploid forms of O.abjecta have been reported.
Other Notes
Some botanists have accepted this name as a synonym of O.triacantha. We accept O.abjecta as a taxon independent from O.triacantha (see Majure et al). The type locality is Big Pine Key, FL.
Little is known about this prickly pear. It is reported to grow west of Houston, Texas.
Details
This Opuntia is purported to have stout brown, almost black, spines on small joints. The cladodes are 5-7 cm long and the spines are 2-3 cm long. The spines may be of two sizes with the lower one 1.5 cm long.
One description is in the Cactaceae, v1, 1919 Britton and Rose, page 133.
Flowers are yellow and about 3.5 cm in diameter. The ovary is 2.5 cm long and slender.
Ploidy is unknown.
Other Notes
Some botanists consider that O.nemoralis is a synonym of O.fusco-atra.
The color drawing is by Mary Emily Eaton, and may be from The Cactaceae, 1919.
The following photographs represent our concept of O.fusco-atra based on the original description.
Opuntiaatrocapensis is a prickly pear cactus known from the sand dunes of Monroe County, FL. It resembles O.ammophila.
Details
O.atrocapensis forms prostrate, much-branched plants, sometimes resurgent the tips. Cladodes are obovate, elliptical, or broadly elliptical, 5-10 cm long. Usually, there is one spine per areole. The longest spines are 2-3 cm. The fruit is narrowly obovoid to 3.5 cm long and reddish-purple. There are many seeds that are 3-3.5 mm across.
Ploidy is unknown.
Other Notes
Some botanists consider that O.atrocapensis is synonymous with O.ammophila.
Opuntiamesacantha is a southeastern prickly pear found in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina on the Atlantic Coastal Plain Gulf Coast Barrier Islands. It is absent in the Florida peninsula. It resembles O.humifusa, O.lata, and O.cespitosa but has distinct differences; see Majure, 2014 and Majure et al, 2012.
Details
O.mesacantha is a prostrate plant that may branch in all directions to 1 m across. Cladodes may be spined or unspined and are smooth in outline, obovate or rotund, occasionally elliptical. Spines are stout (0.95-1.3 mm in diameter).
Flowers are pure yellow with no red. Fruits are reddish at maturity. Seeds are 5.0-5.9 mm long.
O.mesacantha and O.lata are difficult to differentiate in the field, but Adanick et al., 2019 developed a method to measure stomates in the field and differentiate the two taxa easily. Like other eastern prickly pears, O.mesacantha colonizes sandy or rocky areas that become dry between rains.
O.humifusa is an allotetraploid (2n=44), cryptic species that is most easily confused with O.mesacantha ssp. mesacantha, from which it can be separated by its lack of spines…and generally increased number of areoles per diagonal row across the cladode face at midstem (4-5 vs. 3-4 in O.mesacantha), generally inserted glochids (vs. exerted in O.mesacantha), and smaller seeds (4.0-4.6 mm long in O.humifusa vs. 5.0-5.9 mm long in O.mesacantha) with a smooth funicular envelop (instead of the upraised funicular envelope in O.mesacantha ssp. mesacantha).
Opuntia mesacantha, Barrow County, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Barrow County, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Carrollton, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Carrollton, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Carrollton, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Elbert County, GA, Hayes Jackson
Opuntia mesacantha, Elbert County, GA, Hayes Jackson
Opuntia mesacantha, Elbert County, GA, Hayes Jackson
Opuntia mesacantha, habitat, Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Rockdale County, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Wadley, AL, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha, Wadley, AL, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha,Stone Mt, GA, Paul Adanick
Opuntia mesacantha-like, Little River Canyon National Preserve, AL, Hayes Jackson
Opuntiaxanthoglochia is a prickly pear cactus cactus found in central Texas east of Austin, although it may range into other areas.
Details
O.xanthoglochia resembles O.macrorhiza. The plant is prostrate to 20-30 cm tall. Large plants may be 1.0 m across. The cladodes are oval or obovate and may be more or less pointed at both ends or round. Cladodes may be 10 cm across and up to 12(15) cm long. Areoles are raised. O.xanthoglochia has yellowish glochids, sometimes numerous and prominent and up to 1 cm inch long.
The flowers are lemon yellow with red or brownish-red centers, about 7 cm in diameter. However, flowers are variable, sometimes with no red and other times with excess red. Other times the red is confined to the mid-rib of the tepals. Filaments are greenish, and the style and stigma are white or pale yellowish. The ovary is long and slim.
O.xanthoglochia is diploid.
Other Notes
Perhaps O.xanthoglochia is a diploid form of O.macrorhiza s.l.
Opuntiacespitosa is a prickly pear in the O.humifusa group of cacti (O.humifusa s.l.). O.cespitosa resembles O.humifusa and has long been overlooked by botanists because it was considered synonymous with that species. O.cespitosa also has similarities with the western species, O.macrorhiza.
Details
O.cespitosa cladodes generally appear glaucous-gray. Cladodes have 0-2 spines that are either both erect or both deflexed. Only centrals are produced. O.cespitosa does not have strongly retrorsely-barbed spines, which are common in the related O.mesacantha. The spines of O.cespitosa place it in contrast with O.humifusa, which lacks spines. Typically, the chains of cladodes are parallel to the ground surface. As with related plants (i.e., O.humifusa s.l.), the cladodes become wrinkled in fall.
O.cespitosa has yellow flowers with red centers. Filaments are yellow and anthers are pale. The style is white and the stigma is white or pale yellow. The fruit is clavate.
O.cespitosa is tetraploid.
Other Notes
O.cespitosa is the most common Opuntia species in the eastern states though it has traditionally been subsumed into O.humifusa and was not noticed. It is present in multiple eastern, southern, and midwestern states including AL, AR, CT, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NY, OH, VA and WV. It is the only Opuntia that occurs in eastern Canada (far southern Ontario). Recent work by Paul D. Adanick shows that this Opuntia occurs in many locations in TN and KY but that it may not be numerous at any specific location. It is often found in rocky situations but also occurs in dry soils.
Vegetatively, it is most similar to Opuntiamesacantha ssp. mesacantha, from which this allopolyploid may be partially derived, although floral features are quite different, and O.cespitosa does not have the strongly retrorsely-barbed spines common in O.mesacantha. This species also can be confused with certain forms of O.macrorhiza, another putative parent of O.cespitosa; both species have yellow inner tepals basally tinged red adaxially.
Opuntia cespitosa flower, Pigeon Mt., Walker Co. GA, Paul Adanik
Opuntia cespitosa fruit, Salvisa, KY, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, AL rock outcrop, Hayes Jackson (garden plant)
Opuntia cespitosa, AL rock outcrop, Hayes Jackson (garden plant)
Opuntia cespitosa, AL rock outcrop, Hayes Jackson (garden plant)
Opuntia cespitosa, Alabama
Opuntia cespitosa, Alabama
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN, Paul Adanick
Opuntia cespitosa, companion moss, TN
Opuntia cespitosa, cultivated plant in Ohio cemetery, Kevin Rowland
Opuntia cespitosa, cultivated plant in Ohio cemetery, Kevin Rowland
Opuntia cespitosa, cultivated plant in Ohio cemetery, Kevin Rowland
Opuntia cespitosa, Fayette Co, KY, Kevin Rowland
Opuntia cespitosa, Fayette County, KY-with Sedum puchellum, Kevin Rowland
Opuntia cespitosa, Fayette County, KY-with sedum puchellum
Opuntiadiploursina was described from near Meadview, AZ. It has a limited range. Additionally, it has similarities with O.polyacanthaerinacea and O.trichophora.
Details
O.diploursina grows to (15)20-45 cm tall with upright branches of 1-4(6) cladodes. Cladodes are narrowly obovate to elliptic, 9-14 cm long, and (4)6-9 cm wide. As in O.polyacanthaerinaceae and O.trichophora, the areoles are many and close together. Often there is one major spine per areole, especially in the second year. Spines are straw-colored or yellow-tan and flexible, 2-10 cm long. There are many minor spines appressed to the cladode surface and crossing over other areoles. Overall, the plant is very shaggy with its numerous long spines.
The yellow flowers are 6-7 cm long, but they can have a peach-colored cast to them due to a pinkish blush on many tepals. The style is white and the stigma is green. Filaments are white. Fruit is dry. There may be about 10-15 spines in each fruit areole–10 mm long or longer. The fruit is many-seeded. At 9-10 mm in diameter, seeds are large, and they have pronounced rims.
O.diploursina is diploid.
Other Notes
A major and important difference between O.polyacanthaerinaceae and O. diplourisna is polidy. The former is tetraploid whereas the latter is diploid as is O.trichophora.
O. diplourina is related to O.trichophora. O. diplourisna differs from O.trichophora in being more upright, the presence of more minor spines that are more closely appressed to the cladode surface, and more and more flexible spines on the fruit.
The original authors speculated that O.diploursina represents an ancient diploid ancestor of O.polyacanthaerinacea, but evidence is absent. Hybrids between this Opuntia and O.basilaris and have been reported.
Permission to reproduce the original description was provided by the Cactus and Succulent Society Journal.
Opuntia diploursina flower, very pale with some pink, Nancy Hussey
Opuntia diploursina flower, very pale with some pink, Nancy Hussey
Opuntia diploursina x basilaris, near Meadview, AZ
Opuntia diploursina x basilaris, near Meadview, AZ
Opuntia diploursina x basilaris , near Meadview, AZ (two plants are present, the bluish one is 100% O. basilaris)
Opuntia diploursina x O. basilaris hybrid, Nancy Hussey
Opuntia diploursina, floppy plant in habitat, Nancy Hussey
Opuntianemoralis is a southern Midwest prickly pear that occurs in saline prairies, sandhills, and shale outcrops in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
Details
Plants may sprawl to 1 m across and reach 30 cm tall sometimes forming clumps. The cladodes are ovate to obovate and thick, 7-9 cm long. Cladodes may be green or with purple blotches surrounding the areoles. There are 1-2 spines in the distal areoles, perhaps 2-2.5 cm long. Older cladodes are wrinkled.
Flowers are yellow with relatively few tepals. The fruit is about 17 mm thick and 32 mm long, pyriform or obovoid and truncate, light red. Fruit pulp is slightly reddened.
O.nemoralis is tetraploid.
Other Notes
Plants observed north of Lake Ouachita in Arkansas were glaucous/pruinose, especially in winter. Plants near Longview, Texas had purple areoles that were striking.
Plants from Hot Spring County, Arkansas were in xeric, fractured, flakey, acidic shale bedrock along highway 81 near Interstate 30. A Cladonia sp. (lichen) was abundant. Other habitat-associate plants included Andropogon scoparius, Croton wildenowii, Polygonum tenue, Grindelia lanceolata, and Eriogonum longifolium.
O.nemoralis is uncommonly encountered. This prickly pear has erroneously been conflated with O.humifusa, but it is different from O.humifusa although it is a member of that clade.
Opuntia nemoralis habitat, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, cladodes, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, cladodes, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, flower bud, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, forming clumps on saline prarie, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Hot Springs County, AK, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, in flower, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, in flower, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, in flower, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, in habitat near Lake Ouachita, AR, Barry Snow
Opuntia nemoralis, in habitat near Longview, TX, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis, Sonnia Hill
Opuntia nemoralis. near Lake Ouachita, AR
Opuntia nemoralis. near Lake Ouachita, AR, Barry Snow
Opuntia nemoralis. near Lake Ouachita, AR, Barry Snow
Opuntiacolumbiana is a small prickly pear cactus that occurs in northeast Oregon, eastern Washington and in lower British Columbia, Canada.
Details
The plants form low mats with cladodes that are flattened, narrowly to broadly obovate, and fragile. Second-year growth may be yellowish-green. Major spines are present in most areoles, reflexed to porrect and yellowish to gray-white to brown, (15)25-40(50) mm long. Radial spines are also present.
Flowers are yellow, 30-50 cm across. Filaments are red or brownish-red, anthers are yellow. The style is white and the stigma is green. Fruits are seldom set. Seeds are tan and 5-7 mm across. The protruding girdle is 1-1.5 mm.
O.columbiana is reported to be hexaploid (but see below, perhaps different taxa are represented by O.columbiana).
Other Notes
Some botanists report that O.columbiana resembles an O.fragilis hybrid over part of its range only. Though it may have hybrid origins, we find that at least some populations of this prickly pear appear to be stable and self-reproducing, if only clonally. Of interest is that some cladodes (on many plants) are often narrowly obovate (about 5 × 10-15 cm), unlike either of the proposed ancestral species. In contrast, O.columbiana is referred to as O. × columbiana by many botanists (Anderson, 2001) who maintain that this Opuntia is a prickly pear hybrid between O.polyacanthaerinacea and O.fragilis and that it does not represent a stable, self-reproducing taxon.
More study is needed to resolve the conflicting information about this taxon. Possibly the plants referred to here represent two or more taxa.
O.columbiana is a small, hardy, cheerful garden plant.
Opuntia columbiana after long summer drought, Jay Akerly
