Opuntia from Carefree to Meadview

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:52 am

One of the highlights of my trip this past weekend was finding the very small population of Opuntia erinacea ursina near Meadview. A friend from the UK, Trevor Wray, had talked about Opuntias that looked like Oreocereus, and he wasn't exaggerating. But first, some other basilaris, erinacea and stuff from the trip up there:

I just missed an amazing show from this erinacea near Chloride. I always thought erinacea had yellow flowers. At least I got to see one.

I stumbled on these ursina near sunset, the "magic hour" for backlighting. When I first saw them I had a sort of religious experience. It's hard to explain but maybe the pics can do the talking.

Part of it might have been the majestic surroundings, part of it just my having been in the sun all day.

I went back the next morning to get some flower shots. I love the peachy color of the older flowers.

I also found some of these very cool small Opuntia. perhaps aurea? or the recently mentioned pinkavae?

One more of the wild grizzly bear!

peterb

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:56 am

Oh. My. I love your trips!

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:51 am

Wow there are those are some nice Opuntia!

I like the grizzly bear ones!!!!

Andy_CT · Post by **Andy_CT** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:52 am

Those are some wacky polyacantha's! The small ones might be hybrids involving aurea.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:12 pm

Church of Opuntia is now in session

That unknown has a bit of a O. humistrata look. It also looks like that noid I have, flowers are slightly more red than salmon but growth form looks very close.

Great backlighting indeed!

Post by **daiv** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:36 pm

2nd pic = Good to see the trusty Honda in the background!

But as for the pics.... these are some exceptional plants. Really a pleasure to see these, Peterb.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 4:23 pm

I thought that pic was funny, as it looks like the Opuntia is eating my car. I think of these Opuntia as gosseliniana, but maybe they are chlorotica? I'm still confused about this form.

peterb

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 5:36 pm

Dave Ferguson has this to say about the low, aurea-like Opuntia growing among the erinacea ursina:

"This is a local form of Opuntia aurea, or perhaps a segregate species
that is very closely related. The plants on the south side of the
Colorado River have a distinctive "look" about them, as compared with
the "typical" ones on the north side, but the basics are all pretty much
the same. This local type seems to be confined to the area between the
higher plateaus on the east, the Colorado River on the north, the
highways to the south and the hotter lower desert (again near the
Colorado River) to the west. Some of the plants have little slender
spines that are different from the stout almost corky looking spines
that are found in some plants of O. aurea in other places.

They almost look like O. basilaris (which is also in the area), but they
aren't. They are closer to O. polyacantha (= erinacea), but again they
aren't in that species either.

Probably deserves a variety or subspecies name, but I don't think one
exists for it yet."

cool.

peterb

Post by **daiv** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:01 pm

OK, call it Opuntia aurea ssp. peterbensis

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:50 pm

Opuntia fergusonia ssp. meadviewensis fa. peterbiana.

peterb

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:14 pm

I did notice your car in the picture, and it looks sorta like you crashed your car into the Opuntia , or yeah maybe it's eating your car. hahaha

BTW I have a Honda civic hatchback as well.

echinopsis ed · Post by **echinopsis ed** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:28 am

Thanks dude - will make a great desktop background.

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Thu Apr 29, 2010 5:43 am

Beautiful scenery and nice Opuntias, Peter.