Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm. var. cuija Griffiths & Hare
Tuna, 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
var. cuija
About plant names...
This variety of Engelmann's prickly pear, sometimes called tuna cactus, is native to North American deserts, at elevations between 1000-4500' (304-1371 m).
Identification: 4-6' (1.2-1.8 m) 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. I couldn't find significant differences between this variety and Engelmann Prickly Pear . See this Opuntia comparison table
Online References:
as Compiled by the Master Gardeners of the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension
The Vanderbilt University Bioimages web site
Www.llifle.com
Powo.science.kew.org
References:
Britton, Nathaniel Lord, Rose, J. N., The Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family , Press of Gibson Brothers, 1919 , Vol. I, p. 113
Older scientific or horticultural names
Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm. var. cuija (Griffiths & Hare) L.D. Benson
Opuntia engelmannii var. cuija description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 9 Aug 2023.
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5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona
Range:
About this map...
