Opuntia gosseliniana
Opuntia gosseliniana
Opuntia gosseliniana is a flowering plant in the genus Opuntia ( Opuntia ) from the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet honors the French botanist Robert Roland - Gosselin ( 1854-1925 ).
Description
Opuntia gosseliniana growing shrubby, branched from the base, forming compact groups with growth heights of up to 1 meter. The almost always reddish purple or something, usually thin, plate-shaped driving sections are up to 20 inches long and almost as wide. The areoles are 2 to 2.5 inches apart. The numerous glochids are brownish. The one to two thorns that may be absent, are often curved, flexible, rust-colored to yellowish or brownish red. They reach a length of 4 to 10 inches.
The yellow flowers can reach a diameter of up to 7.5 inches. The egg-shaped fruits are not spined, but covered with numerous glochids.
Systematics and distribution
Opuntia gosseliniana is widespread in the southern United States in the states of Arizona, as well as in the Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua and Baja California.
The first description was in 1902 by Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber. Nomenclatural synonyms are Platyopuntia gosseliniana ( FACWeber ) Fric (without year, incorrect name ICBN article 11.4), Opuntia violacea var gosseliniana ( FACWeber ) LDBenson (1969) and Opuntia chlorotica var gosseliniana ( FACWeber ) DJFerguson (1988 )