Opuntia galapageia
Opuntia galapageia
Opuntia galapageia is a flowering plant in the genus Opuntia ( Opuntia ) from the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The epithet of the species refers to the Galápagos Islands, where it was collected for the first time of Charles Darwin.
Description
Opuntia galapageia grows like a tree and provides well-developed, rounded crowns. It reaches heights of growth 2-5 meters. The first thorny, later covered with reddish tiles tribe is usually pronounced. The green to yellow- green limbs are round, oblong, obovate, and are 22 to 38 inches long, 15 to 27 inches wide and 1 to 3.5 inches thick. Glochids missing or there are only few available. The 5 to 35 upright, strongly dimorphic (two polymorphic ) spines are initially yellow and later reddish or brownish white. They are 2.5 to 7.5 inches long.
The yellow flowers are 2.5 to 7.5 inches long and can reach a diameter from 3.5 to 6 inches. The fruits are green, spherical to elongated and filled with little glochids and some thorns. They have a diameter of 2 to 3.5 cm and a length of 2 to 6 centimeters.
Systematics, distribution and threat
There are three varieties. Opuntia galapageia var galapageia is disseminated to the lying in Columbus Archipelago islands Isla Bartolomé, Isla Pinta and Isla Santiago. Opuntia galapageia macrocarpa var EYDawson is only on Isla Pinzón and Opuntia galapageia var profusa EFAnderson & Walk. found only on Isla Rabida.
The first description was in 1837 by John Stevens Henslow.
Opuntia galapageia is on the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN as ' Endangered ( EN )', ie threatened, classified.