Opuntia guatemalensis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Opuntia guatemalensis | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Genus: | Opuntia |
| Species: | O. guatemalensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Opuntia guatemalensis Britton ex. Rose | |
Opuntia guatemalensis, commonly known as the Guatemalan prickly pear, is a species of prickly pear cactus in the family Cactaceae.[2] It was described by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose, who had written multiple journals about the Cactaceae family throughout 1919–1923, in which the genus Opuntia was included.[3]
Opuntia guatemalensis is a low growing, spreading prickly pear, with pads that are 10–20 cm (4-8 inches) long. Areoles are light brown, or slightly tan, and raised. Spines are white-gray, being darker at the tip, and are present over 2/3 to 3/4 of an average pad. Large spines are partially perpendicular to the pad. Flower blooms are a light yellow to potentially a darker red.[2] The fruits are locally eaten.[1]