Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii

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.

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.
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 +
Salm-Dyck ex Engelmann +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Engelmann’s pricklypear +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Utah +  and Mexico +
300-2700 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 +
Deserts, grasslands, woodlands, plains, sandy soils to rocky hillsides, lower to midslopes of mountains +
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 (Apr–Jul). +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
Boston J. Nat. Hist. +
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 />) +
Illustrated +
not sheathed +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
gray +  and black +
straight +  and curved +
deciduous +  and persistent +
spreading +  and strongly reflexed +
conspicuous +
with hairlike bristles +  and setose +
1 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
flattened +  and angular +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 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 /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
nearly smooth +  and tuberculate +
17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
yellow-green +  and green +
whitish +  and cream +
Opuntia dillei +, Opuntia discata +  and Opuntia phaeacantha var. discata +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii +
Opuntia engelmannii +
variety +
dull +  and glossy +
yellow +  and paler +
segmented +
tree +  and shrub +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
spreading to sometimes +
blackish +  and tawny +