Opuntia rufida

Engelmann

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 298. 1856.

Common names: Blind pricklypear
Synonyms: Opuntia microdasys var. rufida (Engelmann) K. Schumann Opuntia rufida var. tortiflora M. S. Anthony
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Mentioned on page 125, 142.

Shrubs or trees, with short trunk, many branched, 0.5–1.5 m. Stem segments not disarticulating, grayish green, flattened, reniform, circular, elliptic, or obovate, (7.5–) 10–18 (–25) × 5–25 cm, low tuberculate, pubescent; areoles 8–13 per diagonal row across midstem segment, circular, 3–3.2 mm diam.; wool white to tan, aging gray. Spines absent. Glochids numerous, nearly filling areole, redbrown to white, 1–2.5 mm. Flowers: inner tepals yellow throughout, aging apricot to orange, obovate-apiculate, 25–38 mm; filaments whitish; anthers yellow; style green; stigma lobes dark green. Fruits red with green flesh, obovate, 20–35 × 15–23 mm, fleshy, short-pubescent, spineless; umbilicus 5–7 mm deep; areoles (30–) 36–52. Seeds yellowish, elliptic to subcircular, angular, 3–3.5 × 2.5–2.8 mm, thick, sides smooth or with 1–2 depressions; girdle protruding about 0.3 mm. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering spring (Mar–Apr).
Habitat: Calcareous to volcanic flats, hillsides, sandy to gravelly desert soils
Elevation: 600-1300 m

Distribution

V4 270-distribution-map.gif

Tex., Mexico (Chihuahua), Mexico (Coahuila), Mexico (Durango)

Discussion

Opuntia rufida hybridizes in Mexico with O. microdasys.

The vernacular name is derived from the tendency for the glochids to shed into the eyes of grazing cattle that bump against the plant.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

No values specified.

... more about "Opuntia rufida"
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 />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
36 +  and 52 +
obovate +  and circular +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Donald J. Pinkava +
Engelmann +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Blind pricklypear +
Tex. +, Mexico (Chihuahua) +, Mexico (Coahuila) +  and Mexico (Durango) +
600-1300 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 />) +
burlike +  and spiny +
straight +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
proliferating +
short-pubescent +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
obovate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
foveolate +  and reticulate +
Calcareous to volcanic flats, hillsides, sandy to gravelly desert soils +
oblong +  and spatulate +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.8 cm38 mm <br />0.038 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 (Mar–Apr). +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
elliptic;subcircular +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
with 1-2 depressions +  and smooth +
not sheathed +
7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br /> (17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br />) +
dark-brown +  and black +
deciduous +  and persistent +
conspicuous +
with hairlike bristles +  and setose +
0 (?) +  and 15 (?) +
terete +  and angular-flattened +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
not disarticulating +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
Opuntia microdasys var. rufida +  and Opuntia rufida var. tortiflora +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Opuntia rufida +
species +
dull +  and glossy +
yellow +  and paler +
segmented +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
tree +  and shrub +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
erect +  and trailing +
gray +, white +  and tan +