Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm.
Engelmann prickly pear, cactus apple
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Caryophyllidae Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order Caryophyllales Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family Cactaceae Succulent (water-storing) plants, often spiny
Genus Opuntia Prickly pears
Species engelmannii After Georg(e) Engelmann (1809-1884), a German-born St. Louis physician and botanist, and prolific author on cacti, North American conifers and oaks
About plant names...
Engelmann's prickly pear is native to North American deserts, at elevations between 1000-4500′ (304-1371 m).
Identification: 3-10′ (91-304 cm) high, in clumps up to 15′ (4.6 m) wide. Thick
pads are oval or rounded. Flowers are yellow to red. Fruit is barrel-shaped, with very short spines
or no spines. Spines are chalky white, sometimes yellow. I couldn't find any significant differences
between this species and the variety called Tuna Cactus . See this Opuntia comparison table .
Online References:
George and Audrey DeLange's Arizona wildflower site
as Compiled by the Master Gardeners of the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension
Wikipedia
Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert
CalPhotos
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Www.saguaro-juniper.com
EFloras
References:
Bowers, Nora and Rick; Tekiela, Stan, Cactus of Arizona Field Guide , Adventure Publications Inc., 2008 , p. 151
5/24/2009 · Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 12 × 8″ (29 × 19 cm) ID is uncertain
Opuntia engelmannii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
2/27/1998 · Antigua ID is uncertain
Closed due to Killer Bees · 5/25/2009 · Tonto National Monument, Arizona · ≈ 4 × 2½″ (11 × 7.3 cm) ID is uncertain
2/24/2010 · Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad, California ID is uncertain
Range:
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