21.
Opuntia littoralis
(Engelmann) Cockerell, Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 4: 15. 1905.
Opuntia engelmannii
Salm-Dyck var.
littoralis
Engelmann in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. Calif. 1: 248. 1876;
O. lindheimeri
Engelmann var.
littoralis
(Engelmann) J. M. Coulter;
O. occidentalis
Engelmann var.
littoralis
(Engelmann) Parish;
O. semispinosa
Griffiths
Shrubs
, spreading to sprawling, forming large clumps, to 1 × 1-9 m.
Stem segments
not disarticulating, green, flattened, elliptic to obovate to rhombic, 15-25(-40) × 6.5-14 cm, ± tuberculate, glabrous, usually glaucous; areoles 5-7(-8) per diagonal row across midstem segment, prominent, subcircular(-oval), 4-6 × 4-5 mm, enlarging in age; wool gray.
Spines
4-11 per areole, in most areoles, yellow with chalky white coat, to yellow with red-brown basal portions, aging reddish gray; erect ones terete, stout, straight; abaxial ones reflexed, shorter, to 12 mm; adaxial spines spreading, longest spines 20-40 mm.
Glochids
moderately dense in crescent at adaxial edge of areole, merging with subapical tuft when present, yellow to red-brown, to 5 mm.
Flowers:
inner tepals yellow to dull red throughout, 35-45 mm; filaments yellow to orange-yellow; anthers yellow; style pink to red; stigma lobes yellow-green to green.
Fruits
dark red-purple throughout, obovoid, 35-50 × 30-35 mm, juicy, glabrous, spineless; areoles 22-36.
Seeds
gray, subcircular, warped, 3-4.5 mm diam.; girdle protruding 0.5 mm.
2
n
= 66.
Flowering spring (Apr-May). Coastal sage scrub, chaparral; 10-400 m; Calif. (including Channel Islands); Mexico (Baja California).
