Prickly Pear Cactus Flowers 2014

Title

Prickly Pear Cactus Flowers 2014

Artist

Greg Reed

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

Taken May 2014 in the Hill Country of Texas

Tulip Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia phaeacantha

Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm.

Tulip prickly pear, Brownspine prickly pear cactus, Purple-fruited prickly pear, Brown-spined prickly pear, New mexico prickly pear, Desert prickly pear

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Synonym(s): Opuntia arizonica, Opuntia canada, Opuntia charlestonensis, Opuntia dulcis, Opuntia engelmannii var. cycloides, Opuntia gilvescens, Opuntia mojavensis, Opuntia phaeacantha var. brunnea, Opuntia phaeacantha var. camanchica, Opuntia phaeacantha var. major, Opuntia phaeacantha var. mojavensis, Opuntia phaeacantha var. nigricans, Opuntia phaeacantha var. phaeacantha, Opuntia phaeacantha var. superbospina, Opuntia superbospina, Opuntia woodsii

USDA Symbol: opph

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

This prickly-pear cactus forms dense thickets 8 ft. across and up to 8 ft. tall, though usually shorter. Common to abundant in abandoned pastures and old fields on stony soil. Forms low patches of flat joints, stem segments, or horizontal lines of 3 or more joints standing on edge, some tinged reddish purple in winter. Spines of 2 kinds: one kind 1/2 to 2 inches long and single, or 2 or 4 together, gray to brown or yellowish, sometimes pointing downward, and the other kind minute ones in dense oval clusters from which the long spines arise. Flowers showy, yellow, often with a red center, up to 3 inches wide, opening in April and May. Fruit fleshy, up to 2 1/4 inches long, purplish, flattened to concave at the apex, tapering to the base.

The Desert Prickly-pear is an erect or sprawling shrub with fleshy fruit and brown to black spines. This species has a very wide range, and up to ten or more varieties have been described, making exact identification confusing. Usually the varieties are distinguished by pad size, spine distribution on the pad, spine color and size, and fruit length. The Desert Prickly-pear has adapted to both the deserts of Texas and the cool moist forests of the Rocky Mountains. It blooms from April to June.

Source: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=opph

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June 18th, 2014

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