Opuntiads of the USA

Opuntia curvospina Griffiths

A technical description of the species can be found at the Flora of North America online (efloras.org), Opuntia x curvispina [sic]. The species was described in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, vol. 43: pg. 88, 1916, apparently as a possible hybrid between O. chlorotica and another species.

This species is found in northwestern Arizona and adjacent portions of Nevada and California. We have not observed it north of Lake Meade. It can be found in the general Needles, CA area as well as near Searchlight, NV. The species was easily found in Kingman, AZ, and north of Kingman about 50 miles (northeast and northwest). In the Kingman area it was found within the city limits on the west side of town (near the junction of Hwy. 93 and Interstate 45) on undeveloped gravel or rocky soils. Additionally, O. curvospina was observed east of Kingman, AZ in the Hualapai Mountains including slopes adjacent to Hualapai Mountain Road.

In 2007 O. curvospina was observed in Mojave County, AZ from about 3,200 ft. to 5,000 ft. on rocky soils and moderate slopes, in well drained, mixed-community desert grasslands, moutanin slopes and sandy washes (including very coarse but nearly level soils). O. curvospina could be found growing with O. engelmannii, O. gilvescens, O. phaecantha, O. chlorotica, and O. angustata.

Kingman, AZ (notheast slopes of Table Mountain Plateau) the species is represented by strikingly handsome, garden specimen-like individuals, growing in gravelly/sandy washes where they were the only large Opuntia for many miles. This population was found by N.H., a naturist in Arizona. At lower elevations it was found with Larrea tridentata, Yucca schidgera, and Y. brevifolia, whereas at higher elevations it was observed with Y. brevifolia, junipers and pinon pines. O. curvospina also is found with Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, C. echinocarpa, Ferocactus acanthodes, Echinocereus engelmannii, and Echinomastus johnsonii at various elevations.

O. curvospina is sometimes described as O. x curvispina, a proposed hybrid species arising from O. chlorotica and O. phaecantha. A hybrid origin may be possible, but the species is as constant and easily identified as any other large Opuntia, and is clearly not a product of recent hybridization: if recently derived more variability would be expected.

Note: the original spelling appears to have only a single "I," O. curovspina. It is not clear where the spelling with two "Is" (cuvrispina) originated, but such