(Unusual Opuntia dulcis with Rust-colored Spines, Mt. Charleston, NV.)
Introduction
Opuntia dulcis has been described as a variety of O. phaeacantha. O. dulcis is a larger plant, reaching about 2 ft. Sometimes side branches arise from prostrate branches. Immature O. dulcis may overlap in size with O. phaeacantha, but O. phaeacantha is a prostrate plant. O. dulcis resembles O. engelmannii in some ways, but it does not become as erect or as tall as the Engelmann prickly pear. The spines may be arranged as in O. engelmannii, but those of O. dulcis are more slender.
The Details
An early account of O. dulcis describes the fruit as sweet. The inner tepals are bright red at their bases, though the red may be pale. There are often 2–4 chalk-white, tan, or brown spines. These spines are more slender than those of O. engelmannii, but they are not weak.
O. dulcis grows as far north as Albuquerque, NM, and at least as high as 1,500 m. Plants from cold-winter areas are very cold-hardy.
Additional Reading: Opuntia dulcis (Weedin and Powell)
