Xerophyte

Leaves

Green, minute, acute.

Seeds

About 3 cm broad.

Description

Opuntia quitensisSN|32732]]SN|32733]] sprawling to somewhat erect succulent bush, with single stems but forming large thickets usually 0.4-2 meters high, but becomes considerably higher in dense vegetation (to 3 metres tall). This species is very variable in habit, for when grown in the open it is low and bushy with rather small joints, but when growing in thickets it becomes tall and has large joints (pads). It is often spineless, and when the spines are present they are usually few and weak, but occasionally the joints have stout subulate spines. Plants are functionally unisexual (dioecious ) with male and female blossoms in separate plants. Opuntia quitensis sometimes produces peculiar "terminal flowers", which are embedded in a flattened joint, replacing the pericarpel. The raw fruit is edible.Derivation of specific name. 'quitensis' is a geographic epithet alluding to its occurrence near Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Stem Segments

Joints not detaching easily, flattened, narrowly obovate to nearly round, 6 to 40 cm long, 5 to 13 cm. broad glabrous.

Note

This opuntia is often encountered as Opuntia johnsoniiSN|32733]]SN|32732]], named after Harry Johnson, owner of big garden in Fallbrook, California, USA.

Flowers

Red or orange, 23-70 mm long, 12-50 mm broad, and often "terminal” that is to say that they are embedded in a flattened joint, replacing the pericarpel. Tepals erect, obtuse. Anthers white. Style white, short and thick; stigma-lobes 13, white, about as long as the style. Flowers are functionally unisexual. Staminate flower may have a few ovules, but lack stigmas.

Chromosome Number

2n= 22.

Spines

Wanting, or 1 to 3 (sometimes as many as 7 on old joints), spreading, unequal, with slightly barbed tips, straight, yellowish brown white with darker tips, or nearly white when young, acicular or awl-like, sometimes slightly flattened, somewhat flexuous, 0.5 to 8 cm long.

Fruits

Obovoid to barrel shaped, deeply umbilicate, brownish-green to red, nearly spineless, about 2-4 cm long, 2-4 cm in diameter, with glochids, sometimes with spines or bristles. The pulp is greenish

Areoles

Small, distant, 2 cm apart, bearing some white tomentum. Glochids inconspicuous, brown, 2-4 mm long.