Opuntia poeppigii
Enum. Diagn. Cact. 174. 1837 Remarks: Leuenberger typified Opuntia caespitosa and Opuntia poeppigii by a single collection: Poeppig 669
Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Species
Opuntia poeppigii
Author
Otto ex Pfeiff.
Chinese genus
仙人掌属
Chinese name
-
Primary
Accepted
DescriptionEdit description
Leaves
The foliage is persistent, formed by a dense mass of dark green, cylindrical and almost needle-like leaves, (1-)4 to 6(-10) mm long, , 1-2 mm in diameter, green, straight to slightly curved with acute tips. It keeps its leaves in the winter.
Description
Maihuenia poeppigiiSN|11620]]SN|11620]] is a shrubby, much branched, prostrate, succulent plant originally described as an Opuntia, but there are no glochids, and differences in seed and other microscopic features. It is hardy cactus that forms large mats of cylindrical stems with small, succulent leaves and white spines, often consisting of hundreds of individual segments. It is small in size, and can reach 10-15(-20) cm in height, but it can grow up to 2 meter in diameter. This is a common adaptation to cold, windy alpine habitats. The flowers are very showy, large, satiny and lemon-yellow in colour.
Roots
Taproots fleshy, 40-80 cm long.
Note
Its specific epithet poepigii commemorates Eduard Pöppig, a 19th-century German naturalist who explored South America.
Flowers
terminal, remarkably beautiful, large, soft, satiny, lemon-yellow.
Blooming Season
It flowers in late spring. .
Spines
3 from each areole, the 2 laterals very short (occasionally only one or absent), the central one round to flattened above, rigid, 15 to 25 mm long.
Stem
Spiny to the bases, oval, club-shaped or cylindrical, branching from neartips, 2-6 cm long or more, 8-20 mm in diameter without knoblike spur shoots..
Fruits
Oblong, obovate to club shaped 5-6 cm long. The fruits of this species are edible.
Areoles
Small whitish.