Opuntia ignescens
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 50(2-3, Beibl. 111): 30. 1913 [19 Aug 1913]
Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Species
Opuntia ignescens
Author
Vaupel
Chinese genus
仙人掌属
Chinese name
-
DescriptionEdit description
Note
Latin 'ignescens', present participle of the verb 'ignescere' to become inflamed, on fire, from 'ignis' fire. The specific epithet alludes to the characteristic red colour of the spines and of the flowers.
Flowers
Red to orange-yellow up to 3.5 centimetres long.
Spines
About 20, arising only in the upper areoles. Erect, reddish brown, dark with age, very crowded, up to 10(-26) cm long. Glochids straw yellow 3.5-5.5 cm long.
Stem
Up to 9 cm long and 4 cm in diameter, strong, oval, apex more or less conical and pointed with noticeable tubercles in the upper part. Some of them are strong, others thinner.
Fruits
Fleshy, finally dry and pulp-less, barrel-shaped filled with numerous spines up to 6 centimetres long on the edge.
Areoles
About 15 the basal ones small spineless, the upper ones located on the top of the joints larger and spiny.