Opuntia chlorotica Engelm. & Bigelow var. santa-rita Griffiths & Hare
Opuntia violacea Engelm. var. santa-rita (Griffiths & Hare) L.D. Benson
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Opuntia santa-rita (Griffiths & Hare) Rose Santa Rita purple prickly pear, Santa Rita pricklypear
Santa Rita Prickly Pear is native to Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Identification: This cactus usually has distinctive purple coloring. Pads are 4-8" (10-20 cm), tinged with purple; turning entirely purple when very dry. Spineless, or pink or reddish spines less than 1½" (3.8 cm) long. There are also tiny reddish-brown, loosely attached spines called glochids, which are irritating and difficult to remove. Flowers are lemon yellow, becoming more orange as they age. Flowers occur on tops of pads. Fruit is barrel-shaped, smooth, about 1" (2.5 cm) x 1½" (3.8 cm). Cochineal insects (Dactylopius confusus) attack prickly pear cacti, leaving a whitish, wool-like substance behind. Although these insects are regarded as annoyances today, they were a source of brilliant red dye to the Aztecs. Online References:
Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert George and Audrey DeLange's Arizona wildflower site The Vanderbilt University Bioimages web site The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Sonoran Desert Digital Library The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The Tohono O’odham Community College TOCC Plant Atlas References:
Opuntia santa-rita description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
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5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona
5/6/2014 · American Southwest (AZ or TX) · By Jacquelyn Boyt
5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona Range:
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