opuntia sorting e-r

	fragilis Brittle Pricklypear. efloras	ficus-indica India Fig or Tuna efloras	macrocentra (violacea) Black Spined or Purple Pricklypear efloras	macrorhiza efloras	microdasys	occidentalis	phaecantha Brown Spined Pricklypear efloras	polycantha Many Spined Pricklypear efloras	pinkave efloras	pottsii Pott's Pricklypear. efloras	rufida Blind Pricklypear. efloras
	E Utah, Co, Wy, and north. NW NM, NE Az.	South central arizona	Big Bend thru S NM to E Central Arizona.	Big swath, central texas Ok, south Ks, South 2/3 Co., N NM, E AZ, El Paso area.	restricted to south central Arizona	Southern Ca almost to Arizona line.	W Texas, S. Colorado, NM, N Az, S Utah, S Nev. type loc santa fe creek nm	Throught southwest except sw arizona.	very local N AZ, Southern Ut.	El Paso area, strip across S NM, SE arizona.	Big Bend area of Texas
Habit	low matted, 2-10 cm. stem segments break off easily. 0-7,800 feet.	Tree, 3-6 meters. Trunk to 45 cm. Cultivated.	shrub to 1 m.	clumps 8-16 cm.	erect to sprawling to 1 meter,stem segments small.	shrubs to 1.5 meters.	shrub, decumbent to trailing, 0.3-1m. Mean 0.5 meter	low shrub 10-25 cm. mean 16 cm.	low ascending to prostrate, 10-35 cm, mean 19 cm.	Shrubs, clumps to 0.4 meter.	shrubs or small trees 0.5 to 1.5 meters. mean 1 meter.
Pad Size	2-5.5 by 1.5-3.0 cm. mean 3.3x2 cm. almost cylindrical.	4-60x2-3 cm. mean 15x3xm.	7-20 x 6-18 cm., mean 12x10 cm.	5-11x3.5-7.5 cm. mean 7x5 cm.	7-10x4-8 cm. mean 8x6 cm.	19-35x14-18 cm, mean 25 x16 cm.	10-25 by 7-20 cm. mean 16 cm x12 cm.	4-27x2-18 cm, mean 11 cmx6 cm.	6-15 x 3-11 cm. mean 9 cm. x 5 cm.	5-20x4-8 cm., mean 10x6 cm. usually distal 40% of stem.	10-18x 5-25 cm, mean 13 cm. x 11 cm.
Aeroles	3-5 across midstem.	7-11 across midstem, mean 9.	6-8 across midstem	5-6 across midstem.	11-16 across midstem.	5-7 across midstem	5-7 across midstem.	4-14 across midstem, mean 8.at all or only distal aeroles.	7-8 per midstem.	4-6 per diagonal row.	8-13 per midstem. mean 10.
large Spines	3-8 per aerole, spreading.	Very variable, 1-6 per aerole or absent.	0-15 per aerole.	0-4 usually in distal aeroles.	none	3-6 per aerole	2-6 per aerole may be at only distal, may be twisted.	two types, 1. 0-18 per aerole, mean 5 or 2. major 1-5, minor 5-11,	1-3 per aerole.	1-6 per midstem .	none
Pad Surface	Bright green, aeroles look extruded.			dark dull green, often wrinkled.				dusky green, wrinkled
Spine length	to 10 mm.	with bristles, 1-10 mm, mean 3 mm.	30-120 mm, mean 60 mm.	to 60 mm.	none	20-50 mm.	Major spines 30-80 mm, secondary 20 mm.	major 20-150, minor 4-16 mm, mean 50 mm. major, 8 mm. minor	50-70 mm, mean 60 mm.	to 60 mm. sometimes spirally twisted.	--------
Glochids	cresent at adaxial margin. inconspicous, 3 mm.	adaxial aerole margin	dense adaxial cresent, subapical tuft.	dense tuft	fill aerole	cresent at adaxial edge, subapical tuft.	dense adaxial cresent, subapical tuft.	tidy cresent at adaxial edge of aerole.	dense adaxial cresent. sometimes in columns.	adaxial tuft.	nearly fill aerole.
flower Color Size	yellow to basally red 23 mm.	yellow to orange 25-50 mm.	yellow, red basal. 25-40 mm.	yellow with red bases. 25-40 mm.	yellow 25-30 mm.	yellow to pink to 50 mm.	yellow w red basal portions. 35 mm.	yellow to magenta 25-40 mm.	magenta throughout 25-35 mm.	red or red basal. 25-35 mm.	yellow 25-38 mm.
Filaments Anther	white to red yellow	yellow yellow	yellowish yellowish	yellow yellow	white yellowish	yellow yellow	green to pale yellow yellow	white yellow red, magenta. yellow	yellow, red-orange,magenta yellow	pale yellow yellow.	whitish yellow
Stigma Style	lobes green white	lobes yellow bright red	green cream	cream to yellowish white	dark green white	green pink	green to yellow green. yellow	white to pale pink green	lobes green white	cream to yellow whitish.	dark green green.
Fruit Spines	dry, 15x11mm. short on distal aeroles.	yellow, orange, purple,50-100x40-90 mm. spineless.	red to purplish, juicy. 30x20 mm. spineless.	green to yellowish dull red. green to yellowish, fleshy. no spines.	red, fleshy spineless	red purple, juicy, spineless, 50x35 mm.	red to purple, greenish flesh, 40x25 mm. spineless	tan to brown, dry. distal spines.	tan, dry distal spines.	green to yellowish red fleshy spineless. 25-40x15-40 mm.	red with green flesh 25x 18 mm. spineless.
Location	Barren areas in grass and woodlands, inconspicuous, north of Northern Az and NM, east of Nevada.	cultivated in southern arizona.	deserts, oak grasslands, rocky hills and valleys, 2,700-5,000 feet.	plains, grassy woodlands, 300-7,500 feet.	South Central Arizona, widely cultivated 5,500-7,000 feet.	southwest Ca almost to Arizona line, 40-1600 feet. coastal shrub and chapparral.	widespread, west texas, NM, South Co, N Az, S Utah, South Nev, SE Ca.	throughout southwest, most widely distributed platypuntia.	very local North central Az, South Central Utah. PJ woodlands, red, sandy, limestone, 4,500 feet to 5,000 feet.	sandy soils, 3,000-6,000 feet.	volcanic flats, calcerous soils, 1,900 to 3,800 feet.
Seeds	tan to grey, 6 mm.	tan 4.5 mm.	yellowish 7x4 mm.	tan 4.5 mm.	tan, 1.1 mm.		tan, 4.5 mm.	tan to grey 4 mm.	tan 7mm, warped.	tan 4.5 mm, warped.	yellow, 3 mm.
Varieties	none	none		none	none		none	five	none	none	none
hybrids				with engelmanii			widely hybridizes.with aureispina, ficus india, littoralis.	many	with aurea.	some halfway to macrorhiza in arizona.