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34.
Opuntia polyacantha
Haworth, Suppl. Pl. Succ. 82. 1819.
Starvation pricklypear
Cactus ferox
Nuttall, Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 296. 1818, not Willdenow 1813;
Tunas
polyacantha
(Haworth) Nieuwland & Lunell
Shrubs
, low, 10-25 cm, with ± prostrate branches.
Stem segments
not easily detached, green, elliptic to narrowly to broadly obovate to circular, 4-27 × 2-18 cm, low tuberculate; areoles 4-14 per diagonal row across midstem segment, subcircular, 3-6 mm; wool tan to brown.
Spines
at all or only distal areoles of stem segment, terete to flattened, stout to acicular to bristlelike, straight to curling, of 1 or 2 kinds; if 1 kind: 0-18 per areole, spreading and curling in various directions, sometimes straight, erect, ascending to deflexed, yellow to dark brown to black, turning gray, pink-gray to gray-brown, longest (35-)40-90(-185) mm; if ± 2 kinds: major spines (0-)1-5, reflexed to porrect, yellow-brown to brown to gray, longest 20-150 mm; minor spines (0-)5-11, deflexed, white to white-gray, longest 4-16 mm.
Glochids
inconspicuous, in narrow, tidy crescent at adaxial edge of areole or in broad, brushy crescent and tuft, yellow to reddish, aging brown, to 10 mm.
Flowers:
inner tepals yellow to magenta throughout, 25-40 mm; filaments white, yellow, or red to magenta (flowers may superficially appear bicolored); anthers yellow; style white to pale pink; stigma lobes green.
Fruits
tan to brown, ± cylindric, 15-45 × 12-25 mm, dry at maturity, glabrous, sometimes burlike; areoles 10-33, each or only distal areoles bearing 3-16 spines, 4-20 mm.
Seeds
tan to gray, flattened, warped, oblong to subcircular, 3-7 × 2-4 mm; girdle protruding 1-2 mm.
Varieties 5 (5 in the flora): w United States, n Mexico.
Populations of
Opuntia polyacantha
with spines few or absent (especially var.
hystricina
) were the basis for several names including
O. juniperina, O. utahensis
, and
O. rhodantha
.
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34b.
Opuntia
polyacantha
Haworth
var.
arenaria
(Engelmann) B. D. Parfitt, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles). 70: 188. 1998.
Sand pricklypear
Opuntia
arenaria
Engelmann, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 301. 1856
Stem segments
narrowly obovate, 4-7 × 2-3(-5) cm; areoles 4-6 per diagonal row across midstem segment, 8-11 mm apart.
Spines
in most areoles, of 2 kinds: major spines 1-3 per areole, only in distal 3-9 areoles, reflexed to porrect, brown, longest 20-40 mm; minor spines 5-7 per areole, strongly deflexed, white, 4-7 mm, except middle one to 14 mm.
Fruits
slender; areoles 10-14, bearing 3-6 spines, to 8 mm.
2
n
= 22.
Flowering late spring. Sandy barren areas, small dunes; of conservation concern; 1000-1300 m; N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico (Chihuahua).
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34e.
Opuntia
polyacantha
Haworth
var.
erinacea
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) B. D. Parfitt, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles). 70: 188. 1998.
Mojave pricklypear, grizzly bear pricklypear
Opuntia
erinacea
Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 301. 1856;
O.
erinacea
var.
ursina
(F. A. C. Weber) Parish;
O.
hystricina
Engelmann & Bigelow var.
ursina
(F. A. C. Weber) Backeberg;
O.
ursina
F. A. C. Weber
Stem segments
elliptic to obovate, (7-)10-20 × 5-10 cm; areoles 8-14 per diagonal row across midstem segment, 12-17 mm apart.
Spines
1-18 per areole, in essentially all areoles, grading in size and orientation, yellow to dark brown, turning gray, pink-gray, or gray-brown, the longest spreading and curling in all directions especially on proximal stem segments, usually ascending and ± straight near stem segment apex, deflexed to reflexed near base, (35-)40-90(-185) mm, spines of older stem segments more numerous, less straight, and reflexed.
Fruits
stout; areoles 20-33, each bearing 7-13 spines, 8-20 mm.
2
n
= 44.
Flowering late spring. Deserts, desert grasslands, juniper woodlands, alluvial, sandy or gravelly soils; 1000-1400 m; Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah.
Plants of
Opuntia polyacantha
var.
erinacea
with very long, wavy hairlike spines have been treated as
O. ursina
or
O. erinacea
var.
ursina
. Such plants, however, occur at the original (type) locality for var.
erinaceae
, and the characteristic spines may appear on the oldest stem of otherwise straight-spined plants. The name
Opuntia erinacea
has been widely misapplied to some plants of other varieties of
O. polyacantha
.
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34d.
Opuntia
polyacantha
Haworth
var.
hystricina
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) B. D. Parfitt, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles). 70: 188. 1998.
Porcupine pricklypear
Opuntia
hystricina
Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 299. 1856;
O.
erinacea
Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow var.
hystricina
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) L. D. Benson;
O.
erinacea
var.
rhodantha
(K. Schumann) L. D. Benson;
O.
erinacea
var.
xanthostemma
(K. Schumann) L. D. Benson;
O.
rhodantha
K. Schumann;
O.
xanthostemma
K. Schumann
Stem segments
obovate, 8-10 × 5-8 cm; areoles (6-)8-10 per diagonal row across midstem segment, 10-17 mm apart.
Spines
in most areoles, grading in size and orientation; longer spines (1-)2-6 per areole, slightly descending porrect, ascending near apex, (yellow-gray to) brown to black, (40-)50-80 mm; smaller spines 4-6 per areole, reflexed, gray-white.
Fruits
stout; areoles 11-21, bearing 4-8 spines, 4-18 mm.
2
n
= 44, 66.
Flowering late spring. Grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, clay or limestone soils; 1300-1900(-2400) m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., N.Mex., Utah.
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34c.
Opuntia
polyacantha
Haworth
var.
nicholii
(L. D. Benson) B. D. Parfitt, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles). 70: 188. 1998.
Navajo Bridge pricklypear
Opuntia
nicholii
L. D. Benson, Cacti Arizona ed. 2, 48. 1950;
O.
hystricina
Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow var.
nicholii
(L. D. Benson) Backeberg
Stem segments
narrowly to broadly obovate, 10-27 × 7-18 cm; areoles 8-11 per diagonal row across midstem segment, 12-30 mm apart.
Spines
in most areoles, of 2 kinds: major spines 1-5 per areole, down curved, ascending near stem segment apex, pink-gray or basal
2
/3 brown to black, the longest 45-150 mm; minor spines 3-8 per areole, deflexed, white to gray, 60-220 cm (spine clusters easily detached in preparing specimens).
Fruits
stout; areoles 18-24, most bearing 3-12 spines, 8-17 mm.
2
n
= 66.
Flowering spring. Barren areas with saltbush and ephedra, limestone or red, sandy soils; 1200-1300 m; Ariz., Utah.
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34a.
Opuntia
polyacantha
Haworth
var.
polyacantha
Opuntia heacockiae
G. Arp;
O. juniperina
Britton & Rose;
O.
polyacantha
var.
juniperina
(Britton & Rose) L. D. Benson;
O.
polyacantha
var.
rufispina
(Engelmann & J. M. Bigelow) L. D. Benson;
O.
polyacantha
var.
trichophora
(Engelmann) J. M. Coulter;
O. trichophora
Engelmann
Stem segments
broadly obovate to circular, (4-)8.5-12 × (4-)5.5-11 cm; areoles 6-11 per diagonal row across midstem segment, 6-13 mm apart.
Spines
in most areoles, of 2 kinds: major spines (0-)1-3(-5) per areole, ± deflexed to reflexed or porrect at stem segment apex, yellow-brown to gray, 20-35(-40) mm; minor spines 0-5 per areole, deflexed, white, 5-10(-16) mm, sometimes spines of basal and near basal areoles are long, flexible, curling.
Fruits
stout; areoles 12-28, most bearing (4-)6-15 spines, 5-10 mm.
2
n
= 22, 44.
Flowering late spring. Grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, clay, sandy or gravelly soils; 500-2000(-2800) m; Alta., Sask.; Ariz., Colo., Idaho, Kans., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Okla., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wyo.
The morphotype, usually called
Opuntia trichophora
, has additional, curly, hairlike spines from areoles on older stem segments, but these plants occur sporadically throughout the range of
O. polyacantha var. polyacantha
from New Mexico to Wyoming.
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Updated: 2024-07-27 01:26:52 gmt
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