I removed all opuntia cactus from my garden 5 or 6 years ago. Two years ago, opuntia seedlings started appearing in my garden. The most recent one has small pads with 3 inch long white thread-like(or hair-like) spines. I never had such a cactus in my garden. I wonder how much variation exists in the Opuntia family. I ordered these opuntia from Mesa Garden yesterday to compare plants.
1122.7417-trichophora v nova SB912 Orogrande NM, baked caliche flats.
1101.07-erinacea v ursina SB1760 Beaver Dam Mts, UT, long white hairs.
1101.03-erinacea SB1422 /17/ nw Mohave Co, Az, hairlike sp.
I have three other cactus in my garden which have 2 inch long white spines, but they are not hair-like. I could take a photo if anyone wishes to see the cactus. Could all of these white spine cactus be just variations from an ancestor removed 6 years ago?
Opuntia variation?
Opuntia variation?
Living at the extreme limit of the Sierra Nevada Mts. where cactus can still grow.
Re: Opuntia variation?
Opuntia as a genus is tremendously variable.
As to your seedlings, well it depends what they crossed with to produce viable seed if not self fertile. Whether the same species or a different one to produce hybrids. Though you may not have other species in your garden the pollinators, fly's and bees etc, could have flown in from other gardens containing different species. All sexual crosses of the same species are similar but slightly different to their parents, just as we are to our fathers or mothers.
Also some plants are what is known as dimorphic as seedlings, in that the seedling looks different to the adult until it develops it's adult spination. Anyway it will be interesting for you to see what they develop into.
As to your seedlings, well it depends what they crossed with to produce viable seed if not self fertile. Whether the same species or a different one to produce hybrids. Though you may not have other species in your garden the pollinators, fly's and bees etc, could have flown in from other gardens containing different species. All sexual crosses of the same species are similar but slightly different to their parents, just as we are to our fathers or mothers.
Also some plants are what is known as dimorphic as seedlings, in that the seedling looks different to the adult until it develops it's adult spination. Anyway it will be interesting for you to see what they develop into.