Engelmann & Bigelow, Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 3: 293, ca 1852–1857.
Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium; Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Herbarium (as O. phaeacantha); Painting; Drawing (Bigelow, J.M., The Botany of the Expedition, 1856, plate IX No. 1–5)
O. camanchica shares similarities with O. dulcis — O. camanchica shares similarities with O. phaeacantha
Original Description
What is Opuntia camanchica?
Opuntia camanchica is a handsome southwestern prickly pear of western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado. Compared with O. phaeacantha, it is woodier and often forms taller, more erect clumps with stiffer, less sprawling branches.
Details
Shrubs: usually under 70 cm tall, forming clumps to 1–2(3) m across; woodier than O. phaeacantha and more erect, with relatively stiff spreading branches. Cladodes: commonly circular to broadly obovate and notably thick. Areoles: relatively distant; distal areoles bear most spines; pericarpel areoles few and spineless or with only a couple of small spines near the rim. Spines: stout, typically 3–4(6) at distal areoles, sometimes slightly curved; color variable—pale, red, white, black, brown, or purplish. Flowers: yellow with red centers, 5–7 cm long and wide, often opening less widely than those of O. phaeacantha or O. dulcis; filaments cream (≈1.5–1.7 cm); anthers yellow (≈2 mm); style cream (≈2 cm); stigma lobes cream to green or dark green. Fruits: red to cherry-red, 3.7–5(–6.7) × 2.3–3.3 cm, with a deep umbilicus and relatively few areoles; usually spineless, occasionally 1–2 spines near rim; pulp green with clear, not-sweet and rather scant juice, though some fruits have reddish pulp and abundant juice. Seeds: 4–5 mm diameter, irregularly discoid with a broad hilar notch and a prominent aril ≈0.5 mm (or more).
Cytology
Hexaploid (2n ≈ 66); see discussion suggesting affinity with O. spinosibacca.
Range & Habitat
Western Texas across New Mexico and into Arizona and southern Colorado. Occurs on rocky slopes and benches in desert grassland to pinyon–juniper zones; often locally common on open, well-drained substrates.
Similar or Sympatric Species
O. phaeacantha — generally less woody and more sprawling; flowers often open wider.
O. dulcis — fruits commonly sweeter and juicier; spines typically fewer and more slender. O. caesia — morphologically close and sometimes considered part of the same complex; additional study warranted. O. spinosibacca — cytologically proximate and reported from overlapping regions.
Other Notes
O. camanchica has often been confused with or lumped into O. phaeacantha, but its woodier stems, generally more erect habit, and distinctive combination of stout, variably colored spines and red-centered flowers support recognition as a separate species. Plants may spread broadly and, in gardens, upright branches can exceed 50 cm. Similarity to O. caesia suggests a species complex that merits further work.
For more information, see:
Griffith M.P. (2003) Using molecular evidence to elucidate reticulate evolution in Opuntia (Cactaceae), Madroño, 50:162.
“`
“`