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Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm.

Desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear

These prickly pears are the most familiar and widespread, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. See this Opuntia comparison table.

Plants: Desert prickly pear forms dense spreading colonies and shrubs. Spine clusters of 1-4 spines are brown, reddish brown, or gray, up to 1½″ (3.8 cm) long. Pads and fruit also have tiny hairlike spines that detach easily and are difficult to remove from skin.

Flowers: Bright yellow with pale red centers, peach-colored, pinkish, or reddish. Up to 3″ (7.6 cm) around.

Fruits: Red or purple, up to 2″ (5 cm) long, with pink seedy flesh.

Habitats: Many desert habitats.

Edibility: Fruits are edible.

Online References:

Wnmu.edu

Wikipedia

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

CactiGuide.com

CalPhotos at the University of California, Berkeley

Desert-tropicals.com

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

The Jepson Manual

Flora of North America

References:

Anderson, Edward F., The Cactus Family, Timber Press, 2001, p. 511

Bowers, Nora and Rick; Tekiela, Stan, Cactus of Arizona Field Guide, Adventure Publications Inc., 2008

Opuntia arizonica Griffiths
Opuntia canada Griffiths
Opuntia charlestonensis Clokey
Opuntia dulcis Engelm.
Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm. var. cycloides Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow
Opuntia gilvescens Griffiths
Opuntia mojavensis Engelm.
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. brunnea (Engelm.) Engelm.
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. camanchica (Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow) L.D. Benson
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. major Engelm.
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. mojavensis (Engelm.) Fosberg
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. nigricans (Engelm.) Engelm.
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. phaeacantha
Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. var. superbospina (Griffiths) L.D. Benson
Opuntia superbospina Griffiths
Opuntia woodsii Backeb.

 

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Ari­zona · ≈ 6 × 4½″ (14 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Ari­zona · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

7/11/1991 · Near Saddle Rd, Hawaii ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

6/3/2009 · Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Utah · ≈ 8 × 7″ (20 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

2/24/2010 · Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad, Cali­fornia · ≈ 11 × 10″ (27 × 26 cm) ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

The leaves at right are (Quercus berberidifolia), California scrub oak · 8/26/2014 · Sandstone Bluffs, El Malpais National Monument, New Mex­ico · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm)

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/22/2009 · Slide Rock State Park, Sedona, Ari­zona ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/24/2009 · Saguaro National Park, Ari­zona ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Ari­zona · ≈ 7 × 5″ (17 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Ari­zona · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 10 × 15″ (26 × 39 cm)

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Ari­zona ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Ari­zona ID is uncertain

Opuntia phaeacantha (desert prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, brown-spine prickly pear, tulip pricklypear)

5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Ari­zona · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassCaryophyllidaeCacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
OrderCaryophyllalesIncludes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
FamilyCactaceaeSucculent (water-storing) plants, often spiny
GenusOpuntiaPrickly pears
SpeciesphaeacanthaFrom the Greek root phae- or phaios meaning “dusky, dark or gray” and acanthos, “spine,” thus dark- or gray-spined. Thanks to Philippe Faucon at Desert-Tropicals.com for information regarding this name

About plant names...

Range: Zones 7-10:

About this map...

Opuntia phaeacantha description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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