Appearance
"Opuntia rufida" is a multi-branched cactus that may reach 3 to 5 feet tall and a bit wider. The plant generally has a short trunk, and the thickish tomentose pads are subcircular, obovate, or elliptical. Areoles are spineless but have showy red-brown glochids. In mid-spring the plant produces a profusion of brilliant yellow flowers changing to orange and red, 3 to 4 inches across. In summer, the oblong fruit is bright red to purple, 2 to 3 inches long.The plant can be a spectacular addition to the desert garden. It requires full sun and is highly tolerant of desert heat. However, the glochids tend to dislodge easily when the plant is bumped or shaken and they can be dangerous to humans and animals if carried by the wind. In fact, the common name "blind prickly pear" or "cow blinder" refers to the blinding of animals by the airborne glochids. The species "rufida" refers to the ruddy, reddish-brown glochids.
Naming
The common name "blind prickly pear" or "cow blinder" comes from the fact that the glochids may be carried away by the wind and blind animals.The plant is closely related to "Opuntia microdasys", and is sometimes taken as its subspecies, "O. m." subsp. "rufida".
A commonly sold cultivar is Opuntia Rufida Minima Monstrose
References:
Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.
