Xerophyte

Seeds

Small, tan, nearly spherical, slightly flattened, 1-1.2 mm broad.

Description

Opuntia microdasysSN|15516]]SN|15506]] (bunny ears), is usually low, much branched, and creeping but sometimes nearly erect and to 1 metre hight, forming low clumps. The small pad-like stems are without spines, but with closely set golden-yellow glochids (hair-like prickles). It can produce yellow flowers but they rarely appear in cultivation. There are many varieties of Opuntia microdasysSN|15506]]SN|15506]]; among other things, they may be distinguished by the shape and size of the joints and the colour of the glochids. It is very popular with all types of collectors, easy to cultivate, and is without a doubt a most attractive plant.

Stem Segments

Joints flattened, oblong to orbicular, 5-15 cm long, 4-12 broad, low tuberculate, nor disarticulating, soft-velvety, usually pale green, spineless. There is no central stem and pads often grow in pairs giving the appearance of bunny ears.

Similar Species

Opuntia rufidaSN|15506]]SN|15516]] is a similar cactus with red glochids instead of white or yellow.

Flowers

Usually produced in abundance, perfect, 4 to 5 cm long, 2.5-3(4) cm in diameter, pure yellow or tinged with red, outer perianth segments acuminate; inner perianth segments broad, retuse. Stamens are inserted in a dense circle at the base of the gynoecium where the nectary chambers lie. Filaments and style white. Anthers yellowish. Stigma-lobes 6 to 8, green. O. microdasys is self incompatible and is found as a complete outcrosser.

Blooming Season

The flowering period (in habitat) is from April to mid-May , and fruits ripen from June to August.

Spines

Spines usually absent, rarely one.

Fruits

Green when immature, dark red when mature, and yellow during the last stage, juicy, nearly globular, to 2.5(-3) cm long with many areoles bearing dense glochids spineless, and pubescent.

Areoles

Conspicuous, 9-16 per diagonal row across midstem segment, large, round, closely set, filled with numerous glochids (barbed bristle) 2–3 mm long that are easily removed. Glochids numerous, usually yellow (var. pallida), brownish (var. microdasys), or whitish (var. albispina), nearly filling the areoles.