''Opuntia bentonii'' was proposed by some botanists to be a synonym of ''

Opuntia stricta ''Opuntia stricta'' is a species of large cactus that is endemic to the subtropical and tropical coastal areas of the Americas, especially around the Caribbean. Common names include erect prickly pear and nopal estricto (Spanish). The first desc ...

''. However, ''O. bentonii'', which grows in Texas, is separate and distinct from ''O. stricta.'' ''O. bentonii'' was clearly described by Griffiths in 1911. Along with ''O. stricta'',''O. bentonii'' was one of the pest pears of Australia in the early Twentieth Century.

The Details

Like so many ''Opuntia'' species, ''O. bentonii'' has been mistaken for a coastal form of ''O. lindheimeri'' in Texas, but there are sustained differences. For instance, ''O. bentonii'' plants are often less than 60 cm in height and the fruit is more globular (less inclined to narrow at the base). ''O. bentonii'' plants have fewer spines than ''O. lindheimeri'', zero to 3 (often only 1 or 2). One important difference is that the stigmas of ''O. bentonii'' flowers are yellow and not green as in ''O. lindheimeri.'' Another individual feature of ''O. bentonii'' is that the veins are often visible between areoles. Opuntia-bentonii-galv-5.jpg, Mature ''O. bentonii'' plant with fruit, Galveston Island, TX

References

External links

''Opuntia bentonii'' photo gallery at Opuntia Web
{{Taxonbar, from=Q65944586 bentonii