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Opuntia violacea Engelm.
Notes Milit. Reconn. [Emory] 157 (fig. 8). 1848 nom. inval. (provisional name)
Family: CACTACEAE

Accepted Scientific Name: Opuntia macrocentra Engelm.
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 292 292 1856

Opuntia violacea Photo by: Diego Armentano
This species tipically has stiff relatively short spines only on the upper half of the cladode. Opuntia macrocentra has longer (up to 12 cm long) and more flexible spines.

Synonyms:

See all synonyms of Opuntia macrocentra
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Accepted name in llifle Database:
Opuntia macrocentra Engelm.
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 292 292 1856
Synonymy: 8 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Opuntia macrocentra var. minor M.S.Anthony
Amer. Midl. Naturalist 55: 244. 1956
Synonymy: 2
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Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Redeye prickly pear, purple prickly pear, purple-tinged prickly pear; black-spine prickly pear, black-spined prickly pear, blackspine purple prickly pear, prickly pear
SPANISH (Español): nopal, nopal de Castilla, Nopal Violaceo
TARAHUMARA: erá, eráka, iráka, wechaira, ronéraka, witóri, péchuri

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Opuntia macrocentra group

  • Opuntia macrocentra Engelm.: has cladodes 15-20 cm long dark green, often purplish, with very long spines, mostly restricted to the upper margin of the cladode and only glochids on the lower areoles
    fruits deep purplish red. Distribution: Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.
  • Opuntia macrocentra var. minor M.S.Anthony: has cladodes 10-15 cm long, glaucous blue-green with few areoles, fruits pinkish red. Distribution: Texas and Mexico.
  • Opuntia violacea Engelm.: has stiff spines on the upper half of the cladode.
  • Opuntia violacea var. gosseliniana (F.A.C.Weber) L.D.Benson: has bristlelike (flexible) spines arising from all areoles on a cladode.


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