Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris)

Beavertail Cactus
Opuntia basilaris

Still working on this one, Xeno? :)

Oh, it's growing really well.
I know it's not your basic Opuntia basilaris var basilaris. The color is an aqua blue and the pads are elongated. I haven't found the correct variety name for this yet.
the pads are 4-5 inches wide.

Heres a totally different one. The color is actually closer to a sea green. The pads are thinner and elongated. I don't think this is an O. basilaris variety. Instead I think this might be an O. microdasys variety (it grows like one), but I haven't found a correct name for it yet (if it exists).

This message was edited Jun 28, 2005 3:22 PM

It sure loves living in that pot! It looks great. Has it flowered?

You've been doing a lot of work on microdasys, haven't you?! The thinness of the pads is my only clue that your second one might be a microdasys.

No flowers, not till next year probably, I'm getting ready to put it in the ground as soon as I clear a spot for it.
Microdasys.....Yes, but it's different than my other 5 varieties I have. It might be a hybrid (who knows)
So, does this mean you don't know which varieties they are? :^]

There, it's in the ground.
How does it look?
It's sure to bloom next spring, probably Hot Pink.

No, no idea about the variety, lol, I was just hoping you had ID'd it!

It's really a beautiful speciman. My money's on hot pink, too.

I looked up the descriptions for all the well known varieties. It comes down to either var. basilaris or var. longiareolata. But it's probably var. basilaris because longiareolata's pads only get 4 to 6 inches long, narrow and spatulate. These on my plant are already 8 inches long and 4 inches wide.
Mine just must be a very "Aqua-ish" strain.

As for the other sea-green microdasys candidate, I've searched high & low for something like it. Maybe I should name it myself. LoL. Unless, someone can ID it. (with references, of course).

This message was edited Jul 11, 2005 6:07 PM

Just in case anyone recognizes it, here's back to the sea-green mystery.
A pict of the flailing parent plant.

Glochids close-up.

Buds in late winter/early spring, zone 9b

waiting with anticipation! ;0)