Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis

(Griffiths) B. D. Parfitt & Pinkava

Madroño 35: 347. 1988.

Common names: Cow’s tongue pricklypear
Basionym: Opuntia linguiformis Griffiths Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 19: 270, plate 27 (lower). 1908
Synonyms: Opuntia lindheimeri var. linguiformis (Griffiths) L. D. Benson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 135. Mentioned on page 136.

Stem segments lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, becoming very elongate, often falcate, 35–120+ × 8–17.5 cm, 2+ times longer than wide. Spines 0–3 per areole, absent or irregularly to regularly arranged at most distal areoles, yellow, aging blackish, longest 12–30 mm. 2n = 66.


Phenology: Flowering spring (Apr–May).
Habitat: Deserts
Elevation: 100-600 m

Distribution

V4 254-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Tex., Mexico (Coahuila)

Discussion

Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis is widely cultivated, at times escaping and becoming established in native desert vegetation. It was questionably reported to be native in Bexar County, Texas (D. Weniger 1984).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
15cm;40cm +
glaucous +  and glabrous +
tuberculate +
elongate +  and tapering +
10cm;40cm +
cushionlike +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
20 +  and 32 +
subcircular +  and obovate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Griffiths) B. D. Parfitt & Pinkava +
Opuntia linguiformis +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Cow’s tongue pricklypear +
Ariz. +, Tex. +  and Mexico (Coahuila) +
100-600 m +
salverform +, cup-shaped +  and rotate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
spineless +  and stipitate +
burlike +  and spiny +
dark red;purple +
straight +
indehiscent +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
proliferating +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
ovate-elongate +  and barrel-shaped +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
scattered +  and spaced +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
foveolate +  and reticulate +
Deserts +
oblong +  and spatulate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
deciduous +
flattened +  and conic +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
succulent +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
tinged color +
open +  and simple +
sometimes covered by outgrowths of proximal portion of style base or of flower tube wall +  and open +
persistent +  and deciduous +
Flowering spring (Apr–May). +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
3;2;2;30 +
tuberlike +
tan +  and grayish +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
flattened;subcircular;deltoid +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
not sheathed +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
straight +  and curved +
deciduous +  and persistent +
spreading +  and strongly reflexed +
conspicuous +
with hairlike bristles +  and setose +
0 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
flattened +  and angular +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
hard +  and rigid +
decurrent +
winged +  and unsegmented +
tuberculate +  and smooth +
not disarticulating +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
yellow-green +  and blue-green +
35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
nearly smooth +  and tuberculate +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (17.5 cm175 mm <br />0.175 m <br />) +
segmented +
woody +  and succulent +
yellow-green +  and green +
whitish +  and cream +
Opuntia lindheimeri var. linguiformis +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis +
Opuntia engelmannii +
variety +
dull +  and glossy +
yellow +  and paler +
segmented +
tree +  and shrub +
terrestrial;epiphytic or epipetric +
spreading to sometimes +
blackish +  and tawny +