Opuntia engelmannii var. flexispina

(Griffiths) B. D. Parfitt & Pinkava

Madroño 35: 348. 1988.

Basionym: Opuntia flexispina Griffiths Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 43: 87. 1916
Synonyms: Opuntia strigil var. flexispina (Griffiths) L. D. Benson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 136. Mentioned on page 135.
Revision as of 08:17, 30 July 2020 by imported>Volume Importer
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Stem segments ovate to subcircular, 20–35 × 15–30 cm, to 1.5 times longer than wide. Spines (0–) 1–5 per areole, evenly distributed on stem segments, deflexed sharply (not arching) or recurving laterally, yellow, sometimes with brown basal portions, flexible, the longest 50–80 mm.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Rangelands, on hills
Elevation: 100-200 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Opuntia engelmannii var. flexispina is recognized here reluctantly because it is so poorly known; more study is required to assess its status. Its distribution is limited to Webb and Zapata counties, Texas, according to D. Weniger (1970).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
15cm;40cm +
glaucous +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +
elongate +  and tapering +
10cm;40cm +
cushionlike +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
20 +  and 32 +
subcircular +  and obovate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Griffiths) B. D. Parfitt & Pinkava +
Opuntia flexispina +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
100-200 m +
salverform +, cup-shaped +  and rotate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
spineless +  and stipitate +
burlike +  and spiny +
dark red;purple +
straight +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
proliferating +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
ovate-elongate +  and barrel-shaped +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
scattered +  and spaced +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
foveolate +  and reticulate +
Rangelands, on hills +
oblong +  and spatulate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
deciduous +
flattened +  and conic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
succulent +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
tinged color +
open +  and simple +
sometimes covered by outgrowths of proximal portion of style base or of flower tube wall +  and open +
persistent +  and deciduous +
Flowering spring. +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
tan +  and grayish +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
flattened;subcircular;deltoid +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
not sheathed +
distributed +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
straight +  and curved +
deciduous +  and persistent +
recurving +  and deflexed +
conspicuous +
with hairlike bristles +  and setose +
1 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
flattened +  and angular +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
not disarticulating +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
yellow-green +  and blue-green +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
nearly smooth +  and tuberculate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
yellow-green +  and green +
whitish +  and cream +
Opuntia strigil var. flexispina +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Opuntia engelmannii var. flexispina +
Opuntia engelmannii +
variety +
dull +  and glossy +
yellow +  and paler +
segmented +
tree +  and shrub +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
spreading to sometimes +
blackish +  and tawny +