Opuntia dillenii
Common Name(s): Eltham Indian Fig, Sweet Prickly Pear
Synonym(s): Cactus dillenii, Opuntia anahuacensis, Opuntia zebrina, Opuntia atrocapensis, Opuntia nitens, Opuntia melanosperma, Opuntia stricta
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| To view a chart comparing alternate taxonomy Click Here. |
Subfamily: Opuntioideae
Tribe:
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Distribution:
Mexico : Florida, South Carolina - United States : Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico,
Hispaniola (Haiti, Dominican Republic) - Greater Antilles : Cayman Islands : Virgin Islands - Lesser Antilles : Ecuador (South America, North America, West Indies - Carribean)
Habit: Flattened-Padded
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| Flower: Orange, Red, Yellow | Encounterability: Common Worldwide |
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Species Notes: Comment from Dave Ferguson -Associate Curator, Rio Grande Botanic Garden: Your photo of O. dillenii is a spineless cultivar that has never had a proper name attached to it. It is related to O. dillenii, but is not the same species. It is also closely related to a complex of populations that grow along the west coast of the Gulf of Mexico southward. The oldest name for these low-growing large lindheimeri and dillenii - like plants is O. gomei. They are also closely akin to O. alta. Much work is needed to sort these out. This spineless clone does not fit well into any of the named species. I just learned that some nurseries are calling it O. splendens, which is incorrect. Some are calling it O. undulata (which is a clone or population of O. ficus-indica, an is also incorrect). Yucca Do is selling it as Opuntia species Old Mexico, which may be a cultivar name that sticks. O. dillenii is common in cultivation (sometimes sold at home centers and places like Wal Mart in pots), so finding a good plant to photograph should be moderately easy.
I felt that leaving the picture with this description might prove helpful in avoiding mis-identification at least until I have some good images of O. dillenii. |
| Click any picture below to enlarge |
O. dillenii
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Picture taken at: Quail Botanical Gardens, Encinitas, CA
Photographer: Daiv Freeman
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*Currently 181 of 181 known species are represented on CactiGuide.com.
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