Opuntia cacanapa

Opuntia cacanapa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Order:Caryophyllales
Family:Cactaceae
Genus:Opuntia
Species: O. cacanapa
Binomial name
Opuntia cacanapa
Griffiths & Hare

Opuntia cacanapa is a cactus in the Opuntia genus. In the United States it is found on the South Texas Plains in Brewster County and adjacent counties to the southeast. It also occurs in nearby Mexico.

Details

The plants are variable in size, but can form shrubby trees from 1 to 2 m tall. They grow intermixed with other shrubs and small trees. The glaucous pads are pale and not dark green. Cladodes are 15 to 20 cm long and may be elliptical, obovate, or even subcircular. The flowers are a rich, canary yellow and have a prominent green stigma. The leaves are notable because they recurve strongly.[1]

'Ellisiana' is a special selection of O. cacanapa that has no spines and no glochids. Thus, it is smooth to the touch. It is moderately cold hardy and is used in cactus gardens as far north as northern Virginia.

References

  1. ↑ "New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station 50: 47-48, 1906" (PDF). Opuntia Web.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.