Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm.
Engelmann prickly pear, cactus apple
Engelmann’s prickly pear is native to North American deserts.
Plants: 3–8′ (91–243 cm) high, in clumps up to 15′ (4.6 m) wide, usually with no central trunk. Thick pads are oval or rounded. Spines are chalky white, sometimes yellow, and sometimes absent, in widely spaced aereoles in clusters of 2-6. There are many varieties of this species, owing to their tendency to hybridize with related species.
Flowers: Yellow, sometimes orange to pink to red, rarely whitish; with green stigmas. Flowers appear from April to July.
Fruits: Barrel-shaped, purple-red, with very short spines or no spines.
Habitats: Desert scrub, grasslands, oak/pine/juniper woodlands, at elevations of 492–5906′ (150–1800 m).
Edibility: Fruits, called tunas, are edible. Flavor is variable, and often compared to watermelon.
Online References:
References:
5/24/2009 · Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona · ≈ 5 × 5″ (12 × 13 cm) 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California · ≈ 12 × 8″ (29 × 19 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
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 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| 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 |
Opuntia engelmannii description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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