''Opuntia lindheimeri'' or Texas prickly pear
is a species of
cactus native to North America. It is native to Mexico and the United States, where its populations are primarily in
Texas.
[
Widespread taxonomic confusion has prevented a clear understanding of the true range of this species, resulting in significant publication discrepancies regarding both its western and eastern boundaries. According to Opuntia Web group, this species is typically found in more mesic habitats with deeper soils.][
]
Taxonomy
The question of whether ''Opuntia lindheimeri'' should be treated as a full species or as a segregate of the closely related ''Opuntia engelmannii'' remains unsettled in the scientific community.[ Some treatments such as the early 20th century landmark monograph The Cactaceae consider is a segregated species, while others such as the Flora of North America confer it only variety status.][
''O. lindheimeri'' was first described as a species in 1850 by ]George Engelmann
George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; he was particu ...
.[
Image:Opuntia lindheimeri.jpg, Detail of flower
]
References
External links
''Opuntia lindhiemeri'' photo gallery at Opuntia WebChecklist of differences between O. lindheimeri and O. engelmannii
lindheimeri
{{Cactus-stub