andrew_dudley's Favorites

Tiny population of three mature plants with minimal recruitment (found two juvenile plants). Habitat is the stabilized mossy edge of a small blowout in a fantastic sand prairie at the southeast-sloping base of a gravel esker. Note the recently acquired fire damage from a controlled burn. Associates include indicators of high quality dry sand prairie such as Nuttalanthus canadensis, Viola pedatifida, Artemisia campestris, Helianthus occidentalis, Koeleria macrantha, and Dichanthelium praecocius.

The opinion of Opuntia experts on this population seems to have converged on O. cymochila. Here’s what I noticed vs. Lower Wisconsin River Valley populations: More spines per areole, the largest of which tend to be either yellow or reddish at base compared to brownish or grayish throughout, and more reflexed; different pad shape, with cuneate bases and a broad apex, resulting in a somewhat triangular shape; and very dense yellow glochids which seem much longer and sturdier than “typical” O. macrorhiza. I will say this also does not look like a perfect match for typical O. cymochila, either. To my untrained eye that species tends to have spines on more of the surface of its cladodes rather than just the apical 1/2 or so. I tried to document these plants pretty well so hopefully I didn’t miss any important characters.

Calling all the Opuntia people… @aidancampos, @derekstephenhollingshead, @davidferguson etc.

Of a newly discovered site (2021), not previously referenced by Staniforth & Frego (2000). "#17"

This particular individual (observably one of the oldest, from both the existing and newly discovery subsites "#1-20") likely remained hidden during the 1980s when vandals nearly decimated what is otherwise North America's eastern-most occurring O. fragilis (Nutt.) Haw. element, of which is incredibly disjunct. (Staniforth & Frego 2000; Majure & Ribbens 2012; Hancock et al. 2013, Mottiar et al. 2015; Hollingshead 2024)

Specimens of a subtlety different spinal morphology from the O. fragilis that are also present at this site.

Duplicate observations:

https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/163216345

https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/169529967