- Opuntia gosseliniana
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Opuntia gosseliniana 
Opuntia gosseliniana var. duraznilla Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Core eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Cactaceae Genus: Opuntia Species: O. gosseliniana Binomial name Opuntia gosseliniana
F.A.C.WeberOpuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the Violet Prickly Pear, is a species of cactus that is native to Pima County, Arizona in the United States and Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora in Mexico.
Like most prickly pears, the pads are flat. Unlike most prickly pears, they have a violet, pink, or red tinge, hence the name. The cactus reaches mature heights of one to five feet and blooms either yellow or red.
Contents
Taxonomy
Different authorities disagree on the division of plants into Opuntia chlorotica, Opuntia violacea, Opuntia gosseliniana, Opuntia macrocentra,[1] and perhaps others. To complicate the picture, there are numerous natural hybrids between species.
Synonyms
- Opuntia chlorotica Engelm. & Bigelow var. gosseliniana (A. Weber) Ferguson
- Opuntia violacea Engelm. var. gosseliniana (A. Weber) L. Benson
Varieties
- O. gosseliniana var. duraznilla
- O. gosseliniana var. santa-rita (also known as Opuntia santa-rita[2])
Distribution
Santa Rita Prickly Pear
The above-mentioned taxonomic issues complicate any attempt to describe the distribution of particular varieties or species. O. gosseliniana is especially known from Mexico,[3] but has been reported from Arizona.[4]
References
- ^ "Opuntia macrocentra". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415203. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ "Santa Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia santa-rita)". http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Opuntia_santa-rita.html. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ "Opuntia santa-rita". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242415202. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ Thomas R. Van Devender and Ana Lilia Reina. "The Forgotten Flora of la Frontera" (PDF). http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_p036/rmrs_p036_158_161.pdf.
External links
- Wikispecies Page
- USDA PLANTS Profile for Opuntia gosseliniana
- USDA PLANTS Profile for Opuntia santa-rita
- USDA GRIN Taxonomy for plants
- ITIS Report
Categories:- Opuntia
- Cacti of Mexico
- Cacti of the United States
- Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert
- Flora of the Sonoran Deserts
- Flora of Baja California
- Flora of Chihuahua
- Flora of Sonora
- Flora of Arizona
- Flora of New Mexico
- North American desert flora
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