Scientific name:
Opuntia x spinosibacca
Common name:
Spiny fruit prickly pear
Range:
Big Bend area of west Texas
Form:
Large, upright clusters, with a low central trunk
Habitat:
Sand or gravel flats and hillsides; limestone ledges, at low elevations
Flowers:
Yellow to orange, with red centers
Distribution map for opuntia x spinosibacca
Opuntia x spinosibacca forms large clumps up to 4 feet tall, with green, oval pads, no radial spines, thick reddish central spines (2 to 5 per areole, up to 2.5 inches long), and yellow-orange flowers about 2 inches across. The yellow-green fruits are also spiny. The plant prefers the lowest and hottest environments, below 3,000 feet. This cactus is a natural hybrid, probably between opuntia aureispina and opuntia phaeacantha, and may be found only in the Big Bend region of west Texas.
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