widespread

Opuntia cespitosa, Common Eastern Pricklypear

6 Comments / Common Eastern Priklypear / Joseph

Rafinesque, Bulletin Botanique 2: 216, 1830 Neotype; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (as O. humifusa); Herbarium (with O. nemoralis); Herbarium (as humifusa); Herbarium (as humifusa); Herbarium (as O. humifusa); Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (as O. humifusa); Herbarium See O. humifusa See O. lata See O. mesacantha Original Description What is Opuntia cespitosa? Opuntia cespitosa is a member of the Opuntia humifusa group (O. humifusa s.l.) and […]

Opuntia cespitosa, Common Eastern Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia stricta, Shell Mound Pricklypear

(Haworth) Haworth, Synopsis Plantarum Succulentarum 191, 1812 Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium O. stricta has similarities with O. dillenii, another beach prickly pear O. stricta is different from O. anahuacensis, but they are both beach prickly pears. Original Citation What is Opuntia stricta? Opuntia stricta is a coastal prickly pear

Opuntia stricta, Shell Mound Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia polyacantha, Common Pricklypear

2 Comments / All Pricklypears, Canyon Pricklypear, Dwarf Mountain Cactus, Juniper Pricklypear, Mojave Pricklypear, Plains Pricklypear, Porcupine Cactus, Utah Hunger Cactus / Joseph

Haworth, Supplementum Plantarum Succulentarum 82, 1819 Original Description What is Opuntia polyacantha? Opuntia polyacantha is a variable prickly pear cactus ranging from Mexico near California, to Texas, to the Rocky Mountain states, the Great Plains, and north into Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 2018, a disjunct population was discovered in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario, Canada. This

Opuntia polyacantha, Common Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia Web

53 Comments / Uncategorized / Joseph

Last updated July 2024. Opuntias are the prickly pear cacti. There are over 90 species of Opuntia in the United States. We describe them here. Opuntias are unique cacti with unusual shapes and beautiful flowers. They are part of the opuntiad supergroup of cacti. The “big three” states for Opuntias are Texas, New Mexico, and

Opuntia Web Read More »

Opuntia macrorhiza, Prairie Pricklypear, Prarie Rose

2 Comments / All Pricklypears, Prairie Pricklypear / Joseph

Engelmann, Boston Journal of Natural History 6: 206, 1850 Holotype; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (O. macrorhiza-like); Herbarium; Herbarium Herbarium; Herbarium; Print (Britton and Rose, v1 1919, plate XXVIII); Print (Addisonia, 1916, plate 19); Print See O. cespitosa, a similar eastern plant O. pottsii can be mistaken for O. macrorhiza. Original Description

Opuntia macrorhiza, Prairie Pricklypear, Prarie Rose Read More »

Opuntia humifusa, Eastern Pricklypear

5 Comments / All Pricklypears, Eastern Pricklypear / Joseph

(Rafinesque) Rafinesque, Flora Medica (or Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States of North America) 2: 247, 1830 Neotype; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (as O. calcicola); Herbarium (as Cactus humifusus); Herbarium (as Cactus opuntia) Drawing (Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, vol. 50: pl 2393, 1823 [as Cactus opuntia]); Drawing (Audubon, Birds of America [double elephant folio edition, plate

Opuntia humifusa, Eastern Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia gilvescens, Bajada Pricklypear

Leave a Comment / All Pricklypears, Bajada Pricklypear / Joseph

Griffiths, Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden 20: 87, 1909 Holotype (as O. gilvescens); Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium. Except where indicated, all specimens were originally interpreted as O. phaeacantha. O. gilvescens is related to O. camanchica O. gilvescens is related to O. phaeacantha Original Description What is

Opuntia gilvescens, Bajada Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia orbiculata, Round-pad Pricklypear

2 Comments / All Pricklypears, Round-pad Pricklypear / Joseph

Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiffer, Enumeratio diagnostica cactearum hucusque cognitarum 156, 1837 Herbarium (as O. crinifera); Herbarium (seedling); Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Note: unless indicated otherwise, all herbarium specimens were submitted as O. engelmannii; Herbarium (O. dillei); Herbarium; (O. dillei); Painting Original Description What is Opuntia orbiculata? O. orbiculata is a large prickly pear cactus that

Opuntia orbiculata, Round-pad Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia engelmannii, Engelmann Pricklypear

2 Comments / All Pricklypears, Engelmann Pricklypear / Joseph

Salm-Dyck ex Engelmann, Boston Journal of Natural History 6(2): 207, 1850 Lectotype; Isotype (of O. gregoriana); Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (as O. gregoriana); Herbarium (as O. gregoriana) See O. lindheimeri See checklist of differences between O. lindheimeri and O. engelmannii Original Description What is

Opuntia engelmannii, Engelmann Pricklypear Read More »

Opuntia phaeacantha, Tulip Pricklypear, Brown-spine Pricklypear

2 Comments / All Pricklypears, Tulip Pricklypear, Brown-spine Pricklypear / Joseph

Engelmann, Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Science n.s. 4(1): 51, 1849 Lectotype; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Painting O. phaeacantha shares similarities with O. camanchica O. phaeacantha shares similarities with O. gilvescens Original Description What is Opuntia phaeacantha? Opuntia phaeacantha is a common and

Opuntia phaeacantha, Tulip Pricklypear, Brown-spine Pricklypear Read More »