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The Opuntias are the most species-rich group of cacti, among the most viciously-spined (chollas), and have especially lovely flowers. These were photographed in several places in the deserts of southern California. The beetle-hosting beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris) at upper left was photographed in Anza-Borrego State Park, east of San Diego. The others pictures (more beavertail flowers at upper right; silver cholla, Opuntia echinocarpa, at lower left; staghorn cholla, Opuntia versicolor, Englemann's prickly pear (O. engelmannii), black-spined opuntia, (O. macrocentra), and brown-spined prickly-pear (O. phaeacantha) were taken around Palm Springs, CA). The next-to-bottom row shows a yellow blossom and a red flower, but, and fruit of a large, brushy prickly pear in the U.C. Riverside Botannical Gardens. At the bottom is a red flower and yellow fruit from another species of cholla, and an orange cholla blossom.
Other pages show Echinocereus, Mammillaria & Cereus and barrel cactus flowers.
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