Opuntia chlorotica
Encyclopedia
Opuntia chlorotica is a species of plant
in the Cactaceae family. It is a species of prickly pear
native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its common names include pancake prickly pear and dollarjoint prickly pear.
This cactus is bluish-green and manifests a bushy to erect form that may attain a height of two meters or more.
Some analysis of the prehistoric range of O. chlorotica has been conducted by studies in the Waterman Mountains
of Arizona
; these pollen core
analyses indicate that this cactus species was present in northern Arizona in late Wisconsinan glaciation
period.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the Cactaceae family. It is a species of prickly pear
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its common names include pancake prickly pear and dollarjoint prickly pear.
This cactus is bluish-green and manifests a bushy to erect form that may attain a height of two meters or more.
Some analysis of the prehistoric range of O. chlorotica has been conducted by studies in the Waterman Mountains
Waterman Mountains
The Waterman Mountains are a low mountainous landform in Pima County, United States. Numerous flora and fauna species are found in the Waterman Mountains, in the Pinyon-juniper woodland plant community. Notable among the tree species is the Elephant tree which species exhibits a contorted...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
; these pollen core
Pollen core
A pollen core is a core sample of a medium containing a stratigraphic sequence of pollen. Analysis of the type and frequency of the pollen in each layer is used to study changes in climate or land use using regional vegetation as a proxy...
analyses indicate that this cactus species was present in northern Arizona in late Wisconsinan glaciation
Wisconsinan glaciation
The Wisconsin Glacial Episode was the most recent major advance of the North American Laurentide ice sheet. Globally, this advance is known as the last glacial period. The Wisconsin glaciation extended from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago, between the Eemian interglacial and the current...
period.