Opuntia megarrhiza
Opuntia megarhiza is a flowering plant in the genus Opuntia ( Opuntia ) from the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet megarhiza derives from the Greek words for mega, large ' and rhiza for, root ' and refers to the large taproots of Art A Spanish common name is " Nopalillo ".
Description
Opuntia megarrhiza low growing shrubby, is richly branched and reaches stature heights of up to 60 centimeters. Every one to two years, made a few rather upright aerial shoots. It is a solid of up to 50 cm long and 6 cm thick rhizome present. The dark green, flashy gehöckerten, obovate to oblong drive sections are 7-12 inches long, 3-4 inches wide and 0.6 to 1 cm thick. The areoles are 0.8 to 1.2 inches apart and wear yellow, soft, short glochids. The springing from them two to six spines are needle-like, very slender and fragile, whitish to gray with a darker tip. They reach a length of 0.8 to 3 centimeters.
The zitrongelben pink tinged flowers have diameters of up to 5 centimeters. The dark green club-shaped and gehöckerten fruits reach a diameter of 3 to 4 centimeters.
Systematics, distribution and hazard
Opuntia megarhiza is common in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.
The first description was in 1906 by Joseph Nelson Rose.
Opuntia megarhiza is on the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN as ' Endangered ( EN )', ie as threatened, classified.