familyCactaceae
subfamilyCactaceae subfam. Opuntioideae
genusOpuntia
speciesOpuntia engelmannii
varietyOpuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii

Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii

Donald J. Pinkava
Common names: Engelmann’s pricklypear
Illustrated
Synonyms: Opuntia dillei Griffiths Opuntia discata Griffiths Opuntia phaeacantha var. discata
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 135. Mentioned on page 134.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: John Myers

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Stem segments circular to obovate to rhombic, 20–40 × 17–30 cm, to 1.5 times longer than wide. Spines (0–) 1–5 (–12) per areole, absent or at most areoles, chalky white, yellow when wetted, aging gray to black, usually with redbrown extreme bases, longest 20–50 (–75) mm. 2n = 66.


Phenology: Flowering spring (Apr–Jul).
Habitat: Deserts, grasslands, woodlands, plains, sandy soils to rocky hillsides, lower to midslopes of mountains
Elevation: 300-2700 m

Distribution

V4 253-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Nev., N.Mex., Tex., Utah, Mexico

Discussion

In Arizona, California, and New Mexico, Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii hybridizes with O. phaeacantha yielding numerous named and unnamed hexaploid forms, including O. wootonii Griffiths; the various intermediates have 2n = 66. Hybrid swarms occur in both Zion and Grand Canyon national parks; these plants were perhaps brought in to the parks by native peoples as a food source and they are associated with agaves also believed to have been imported.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii"
RDF feed
0-areole coloration
Chalky white (?) +
2n chromosome quantity
66 +
Age architecture
continuous +
Apex atypical length
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
Apex length
15cm;40cm +
Apex pubescence
glaucous +  and glabrous +
Apex relief
tuberculate +
Apex shape
elongate +  and tapering +
Apex width
10cm;40cm +
Appearance shape
cushionlike +
Appendage architecture
arillate +
Appendage pubescence or texture
corky +
Areole arrangement
distributed +
Areole arrangement or shape
elliptic +
Areole atypical length
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Areole atypical width
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Areole duration
deciduous +  and persistent +
Areole length
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Areole presence
absent +
Areole prominence
Conspicuous (Obscure) +
Areole quantity
20 +  and 32 +
Areole shape
subcircular +  and obovate +
Areole width
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Author
Donald J. Pinkava +
Authority
Salm-Dyck ex Engelmann +
Bristle shape
Hairlike (?) +
Chain architecture
sessile +
Chain architecture or shape
symmetric +
Chain life cycle
proliferating +
Chain orientation
arising +
Cladode length or size
long +
Cladode shape
flattened +  and cylindric +
Common name
Engelmann’s pricklypear +
Depression depth
shallow +
Depression quantity
1 (4) +
Depression size
large +
Distribution
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Utah +  and Mexico +
Elevation
300-2700 m +
Envelope derivation
funicular +
Envelope texture
osseous +
Epidermis arrangement
separating +
Epidermis condition
intact +
Extreme base coloration
redbrown +
Extreme base length
longest +
Flower architecture
staminate +
Flower architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Flower architecture or shape
symmetric +
Flower arrangement
arranged +
Flower duration
diurnal +
Flower part life cycle
abscising +
Flower quantity
1 +
Flower reproduction
bisexual +
Flower shape
salverform +, cup-shaped +  and rotate +
Flower tube atypical some measurement
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
Flower tube fusion
adnate +
Flower tube height or length or size
short +
Flower tube position
epigynous +
Flower tube some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
Fruit architecture
spineless +  and stipitate +
Fruit architecture or shape
burlike +  and spiny +
Fruit coloration
dark red;purple +
Fruit condition
drying +
Fruit condition or texture
dry +
Fruit course
straight +
Fruit dehiscence
indehiscent +
Fruit duration
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
Fruit length
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
Fruit life cycle
proliferating +
Fruit pubescence
glabrous +
Fruit relief
tuberculate +  and smooth +
Fruit shape
ovate-elongate +  and barrel-shaped +
Fruit texture
juicy +
Fruit width
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Girdle prominence
protruding +
Girdle some measurement
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
Glochid arrangement
scattered +  and spaced +
Glochid coloration
Gray (Blackish) +
Glochid count or density
sparse +
Glochid presence
absent +
Glochid some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Grain relief
foveolate +  and reticulate +
Habitat
Deserts, grasslands, woodlands, plains, sandy soils to rocky hillsides, lower to midslopes of mountains +
Hair density
dense +
Illustration
Present +
Illustration copyright
Flora of North America Association +
Illustrator
John Myers +
Inflorescence derivation
true +
Inner tepal architecture or shape
emarginate-apiculate +
Inner tepal coloration
Orange (?) +  and Pink (?) +
Inner tepal shape
oblong +  and spatulate +
Inner tepal some measurement
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Leaf architecture
sessile +
Leaf arrangement
alternate +
Leaf duration
deciduous +
Leaf presence
absent +
Leaf prominence
vestigial +
Leaf shape
flattened +  and conic +
Leaf some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Leaf texture
succulent +
Long-shoot architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Long-shoot relief
tuberculate +
Long-shoot shape
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
Main axis development
determinate +
Main axis shape
terete +
Margin coloration
tinged color +
Nectar chamber architecture
open +  and simple +
Nectar chamber development
specialized +
Nectary architecture
sometimes covered by outgrowths of proximal portion of style base or of flower tube wall +  and open +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Outer tepal architecture or shape
sepal-like +
Outer tepal coloration
Green (?) +  and Yellow (?) +
Outer tepal shape
Bractlike (?) +
Ovary derivation
true +
Ovary position relational
surrounding +
Ovary prominence
sunken +
Perianth duration
persistent +  and deciduous +
Perianth life cycle
abscising +
Perianth position
epigynous +
Phenology
Flowering spring (Apr–Jul). +
Pistil architecture
compound +
Pistil architecture or structure in adjective form
1-locular +
Placenta arrangement
parietal +
Placenta atypical quantity
14 (20) +
Placenta quantity
3;14 +
Pollen coloration
yellow +
Protuberance fusion
coalescent +
Protuberance shape
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
Proximal style width
thickening +
Publication title
Boston J. Nat. Hist. +
Publication year
1850 +
Reference
None +
Rib atypical quantity
30 (40) +
Rib orientation
vertical +
Rib quantity
3;2;2;30 +
Rib short-shoot architecture or shape
barbed +
Rib short-shoot size
minute +
Root density
diffuse +
Root shape
tuberlike +
Scar depth
deep +
Scar prominence or shape
flat +
Seed arrangement
adjacent +
Seed atypical quantity
0 (5) +
Seed coloration
tan +  and grayish +
Seed development
developing +
Seed diameter
0.4mm;12mm +
Seed length
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Seed presence
absent +
Seed pubescence
glabrous +
Seed quantity
1;400 +
Seed shape
flattened;subcircular;deltoid +
Seed some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Seed width
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Segment duration
persistent +
Segment fragility
detachable +
Source xml
https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V4/V4 253.xml +
Special status
Illustrated +
Spine architecture
not sheathed +
Spine architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Spine architecture or shape
barbed +
Spine atypical quantity
5 (12) +
Spine atypical some measurement
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
Spine coloration
gray +  and black +
Spine course
straight +  and curved +
Spine duration
deciduous +  and persistent +
Spine fragility
pliable +
Spine life cycle
aging +
Spine orientation
spreading +  and strongly reflexed +
Spine presence
absent +
Spine prominence
conspicuous +
Spine pubescence
with hairlike bristles +  and setose +
Spine quantity
1 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
Spine relief or texture
roughened +
Spine shape
flattened +  and angular +
Spine size
Slender (Stout) +
Spine some measurement
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Spine texture
hard +  and rigid +
Stamen quantity
50;1500 +
Stamen shape
decurrent +
Stem architecture
winged +  and unsegmented +
Stem relief
tuberculate +  and smooth +
Stem segment architecture
not disarticulating +
Stem segment arrangement or shape
circular +
Stem segment atypical length
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
Stem segment coloration
yellow-green +  and blue-green +
Stem segment l w ratio
0-1.5 +
Stem segment length
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
Stem segment presence
absent +
Stem segment pubescence
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Stem segment relief
nearly smooth +  and tuberculate +
Stem segment shape
Circular (Obovate) +
Stem segment width
17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
Stem shape
segmented +
Stem texture
woody +  and succulent +
Stigma lobe atypical quantity
14 (20) +
Stigma lobe coloration
yellow-green +  and green +
Stigma lobe quantity
1;3;14 +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style coloration
whitish +  and cream +
Style quantity
1 +
Synonyms
Opuntia dillei +, Opuntia discata +  and Opuntia phaeacantha var. discata +
Taproot derivation
adventitious +
Taproot shape
tuberlike +
Taxon family
Cactaceae +
Taxon habitat
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Taxon name
Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii +
Taxon parent
Opuntia engelmannii +
Taxon rank
variety +
Tepal quantity
5;50 +
Testa reflectance
dull +  and glossy +
Tip coloration
yellow +  and paler +
Trunk height or length or size
short +
Trunk shape
segmented +
Tubercle fusion
distinct +
Tubercle presence
absent +
Unit quantity
single +
Vascular-bundle prominence
protruding +
Vascular-bundle size
enlarged +
Volume
Volume 4 +
Whole organism architecture
branched +
Whole organism architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Whole organism growth form
tree +  and shrub +
Whole organism growth form or orientation
decumbent +
Whole organism habitat
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
Whole organism orientation
spreading to sometimes +
Whole organism quantity
Many (?) +
Whole organism some measurement
1m (3m) +
Wing prominence or shape
flat +
Wool coloration
blackish +  and tawny +
Wool life cycle
aging +
X chromosome quantity
11 +