Brown-spine Prickly-Pear
Opuntia phaeacantha
Observed in grassland/chaparral habitat north of Carefree, Maricopa Co., Arizona. 30 May 2011.
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FLOWERS: Large, mostly yellow flowers with orange-red bases to
petals. Numerous stamens with abundant pollen. Botany purists contend that the
‘petals’ should be called tepals, this because there is no clear
distinction between the greenish sepals and the numerous, more showy petals.
JOINTS: The flattened stem joints are slightly oblong in
outline and often trail along the ground forming thickets.
SPINES: The spines are long and the major central spines tend
to be dark reddish brown. Minute spines called glochids are abundant.
SUCCULENT: Low growing prickly pear with pads rarely reaching
more than 1 meter above ground level
but spreading out up to several meters.
RANGE: Found mostly in the transition zones of upland Sonoran
Desert where elements of chaparral and desert grassland are also present.
Becomes more abundant in response to heavy grazing by cattle.
FRUIT: At maturity the fruit is a plump, red pear beset with
many minute spines and numerous hard seeds inside.
Cactaceae - Cactus Family
