Opuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the Violet Prickly Pear, is a species of cactus

Cactus

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...

 that is native to Pima County, Arizona

Pima County, Arizona

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

 in the United States and Baja California

Baja California

Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...

, Chihuahua, and Sonora

Sonora

Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....

 in Mexico.

Like most prickly pears

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...

, the pads are flat. Unlike most prickly pears, they have a violet, pink, or red tinge, hence the name. The cactus reaches mature heights of one to five feet and blooms either yellow or red.

Taxonomy

Different authorities disagree on the division of plants into Opuntia chlorotica, Opuntia violacea, Opuntia gosseliniana, Opuntia macrocentra, and perhaps others. To complicate the picture, there are numerous natural hybrids between species.

Synonyms

• Opuntia chlorotica Engelm. & Bigelow var. gosseliniana (A. Weber) Ferguson
• Opuntia violacea Engelm. var. gosseliniana (A. Weber) L. Benson

Varieties

• O. gosseliniana var. duraznilla
• O. gosseliniana var. santa-rita (also known as Opuntia santa-rita)

Distribution

The above-mentioned taxonomic issues complicate any attempt to describe the distribution of particular varieties or species. O. gosseliniana is especially known from Mexico, but has been reported from Arizona.

External links

• Wikispecies Page
• USDA PLANTS Profile for Opuntia gosseliniana
• USDA PLANTS Profile for Opuntia santa-rita
• USDA GRIN Taxonomy for plants
• ITIS Report