Opuntia phaeacantha
Encyclopedia
Opuntia phaeacantha is a species of prickly pear cactus
known by the common names tulip prickly pear and desert prickly pear.
It is found across the southwestern United States
and northern Mexico
.
s which can lodge in the skin and cause irritation. The plant forms dense but localized thickets. There are several varieties of this particular species, and it also hybridizes easily with other prickly pears, making identification sometimes tricky.
Older names for this species, and names for old species which are now considered variants of this species, include plateau prickly pear, brown-spined prickly pear, Mojave prickly pear, and Kingman prickly pear.
This plant, like other Opuntia species, is attacked by cactus moth
.
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
known by the common names tulip prickly pear and desert prickly pear.
It is found across the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Description
Opuntia phaeacantha has a characteristic prickly pear appearance, with flattened green pads bearing wool and spines. The spines are brown, reddish-brown, or gray, and often over 3 centimeters in length. The flowers are usually bright yellow with reddish centers, and sometimes peach, pinkish or reddish overall. The edible fruits are red or purple with green flesh. The pads and fruit bear tiny glochidGlochid
Glochids are hair-like spines or short prickles, generally barbed, found on the areoles of cacti in the sub-family Opuntioideae. Cactus glochids easily detach from the plant and lodge in the skin, causing irritation upon contact...
s which can lodge in the skin and cause irritation. The plant forms dense but localized thickets. There are several varieties of this particular species, and it also hybridizes easily with other prickly pears, making identification sometimes tricky.
Older names for this species, and names for old species which are now considered variants of this species, include plateau prickly pear, brown-spined prickly pear, Mojave prickly pear, and Kingman prickly pear.
This plant, like other Opuntia species, is attacked by cactus moth
Cactoblastis cactorum
Cactoblastis cactorum, commonly known as the Cactus Moth, South American Cactus Moth, or Nopal Moth, is native to Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. It is one of five species in the genus Cactoblastis that lives in South America...
.