Pony Tail Opuntia

[KittieKAT]

Itappears that the plants in the picture are two individual plants if u follow the stem segments, they are just very closely planted together, atleast that's how my eyes are perceiving it! Lol
In my experience opuntia species are very hard to identify Reguardless unless mature and to the trained eye, i myself can't tell one from theyother, just which oone's hurt more when they decide to ravage my hands and clothing. I'm thinking if it was a cross breed maybe its a cross between a hairy beavertail cactus and something else, but im not sure i can only guess. This would be a very awesome plant for the kids and i to study in my non profit growing/gardening program for underprivileged children and youth in poverty. Thoe the chances seem very very very slim of US getting our hands on such a thing as a little program in MA. I can only speculate that something pollinated your friends already established opuntia and whatever it crossed with, when its seeds sowed naturally it created this hairy mutant which is growing close in proximity to the original plant. Very cool find, I've never seen a thing in real life other then my slightly fur covered glochid beavertail opuntia. But now that a few years have passed who knows maybe someone could elaborate on what and where this mutant opuntia originates and its parent crosses!

[A. Dean Stock]

I do believe that it is one plant, the base is hairy and some of the growths are also hairy while most of the plant is normal. I think that Phil has the correct explanation. It doesn't appear to be a hybrid but rather a species with a hairy seedling stage and some branches are reverting to an immature stage.
Dean

[KittieKAT]

Maybe they are stunting thre growth stages of these plant's that's why the big cuttings he got are still furry? I guess the world will never truly know. ..Daan Daan DAH! (Sorry couldn't resist, but prob don't sound the same as being typed lol)