Cactaceae

Opuntia engelmannii

Common Names: Texas prickly pear

Plant Form: Perennial spreading succulent shrub. Size: Up to 3.5 m tall. Stem: Yellowish-green to bluish-green, flattened, circular to rhombus shaped, narrowing at the end, usually smooth and hairless with up to 12 spines 1-5 cm long at nodes. Leaves: Scale like on new growth and short lived. Flowers: Showy bright yellow, orange, pink, or red. 3-4 cm across. Fruit and Seeds: Oval to barrel-shaped 4-9 cm long, spineless and smooth. Dark red or purplish colour. Containing brown to grey seeds. Habitat: Grasslands, disurbed areas, urban bushland, arid areas.