Possibly in error I have been calling this plant Opuntia ficus-indica (an open-pollinated seedling in South Africa from which a cutting was taken after it had reached impressive size). A cogent member of this forum indicated that it was more in the guise of O. cacanapa. I think he may be right. What do you think?
This is the one I have been calling O. ficus-indica but may be O. cacanapa.
You sent me some of those. I already had O.Cacanapa Elisiana. It does not remind me of it. Most of the cacanapa I have seen non elisiana were realy spikey. My elisiana has never had spines and glochids are very rare on mine. Seems to make them in spurts then they seem to just fall away.
martinfisher - I agree with your observations, which is why I thought this one wasn't related. Prompted, however, by kind hints that it was possibly O. cacanapa, I looked at photos at the Opuntiads of the USA. To these it has a strong resemblance, but as you say, lacks the abundant spines. So I am beginning to think it could be O. cacanapa, but a mostly spineless one as in some forms of O. engelmannii. Whatever it is, I like it!
It doesn't look like O. ficus-indica but there are many forms of that species. It may be O. ellisiana which is also known only from cultivation in the U.S. and was named from a cultivated plant. Fruits are apparently readily separable from those of ficus-indica by the distribution of areoles and size (according to FNA 4). It is reported to be a diploid so quite different from ficus-indica in that respect. There are other possible species that your plant might be but it would take at least flower and fruit to get any closer to an ID.
I'm an Opuntia taxonomist and I still don't understand the application of the name O.cacanapa. I doubt that it is a valid name for any Opuntia species and certainly not for any U.S. species.
Dean
It looks like you are growing this outside in North Carolina, is it safe to assume it can withstand temporary freezing? Your nights can get that cold, right?
Thank you Dr. Stock and Peterthecactusguy for your shared knowledge. Also in my gardens I have O. ellisiana, and it is not the same plant. It is greener, and virtually aglochidate as we all know, and less upright in growth (I like O. ellisiana very much). I admit to being wrong in at first calling this blue-ish one O. ficus-indica, and am glad to now to be on the right scent thanks to the members of the cactusForum. Am glad to have it whatever it is, but shall refrain from calling it O. ficus-indica.
MJazz - It is VERY cold hardy, suffering no damage whatever after the coldest winter on record (so far as duration of cold, not minimum temp) with many nights at or below 10F. Abundant snow too, no worries.
MJPapay wrote:
MJazz - It is VERY cold hardy, suffering no damage whatever after the coldest winter on record (so far as duration of cold, not minimum temp) with many nights at or below 10F. Abundant snow too, no worries.
If got that cold it would probably lose limbs and die if it were O. ficus-indica. They are not cold hardy. Last winter it was around 16F here in AZ and some of them have lost limbs due to them being too cold. Instead of damaging the pads they just drop them.
Strange I know, but..
Thanks Dean for Chiming in. I haven't seen all the different forms of O. ficus-indica.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
I now have 8 varieties of ficus indica. From Chile, Mexico, and Peru. Some are more toleranto to cold and are grown in higher colder elevations that can get snow. The Peruvian ficus indica tend to be firmer and harder than the Mexican varieties.
What wonderful cactus flower and landscape photos!
Alas, I know I only dabble with the camera like a child looking through a telescope and thinking he might understand all of what he sees, yet knowing it is not so.
