Scientific name:
Opuntia chisosensis
Common name:
Chisos Mountain pricklypear
Range:
Big Bend region of west Texas
Form:
Upright, spreading clusters of pads, usually up to 3 feet high, occasionally up to 10 feet
Habitat:
Grassland, pine, oak and conifer woodland, from 5,200 to 7,200 feet
Flowers:
Pale yellow to brownish, blooming from May to early June
Distribution map for opuntia chisosensis
Opuntia chisosensis is entirely restricted to the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park in Texas, where is it fairly easy to spot, in its habitat of open, grassy woodland.
The smooth, hairless pads are dull grayish green in color, round to obovate, up to 12 inches long and 10 inches across. There are 5 to 7 areoles in the longest diagonal row, across the widest portion of the stem. Spines number from zero to five per areole; yellow to somewhat orange, darker at the tip, and darkening with age. Spines are mostly present only on the areoles on the upper third of the pads. Spines for specimens at lower elevations tend to be noticeably darker. Spines are up to 2.5 inches in length. The tufted, yellow, relatively long glochids are most prominent at the areoles along the top of each pad.
Flowers have pale yellow to pale orange/brown tepals, green stigma lobes, and stamens with pale green filaments and yellow anthers. Fruits are short, conical green pods, maturing to bright red.
The smooth, hairless pads are dull grayish green in color, round to obovate, up to 12 inches long and 10 inches across. There are 5 to 7 areoles in the longest diagonal row, across the widest portion of the stem. Spines number from zero to five per areole; yellow to somewhat orange, darker at the tip, and darkening with age. Spines are mostly present only on the areoles on the upper third of the pads. Spines for specimens at lower elevations tend to be noticeably darker. Spines are up to 2.5 inches in length. The tufted, yellow, relatively long glochids are most prominent at the areoles along the top of each pad.
Flowers have pale yellow to pale orange/brown tepals, green stigma lobes, and stamens with pale green filaments and yellow anthers. Fruits are short, conical green pods, maturing to bright red.
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