Opuntia pinkavae

Opuntia pinkavae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Opuntia
Species:	O. pinkavae
Binomial name
Opuntia pinkavae Parfitt

Opuntia pinkavae, common names Bulrush Canyon prickly-pear or Pinkava's pricklypear,^[1] is a species of cactus known only from northern Arizona and southern Utah. It grows in sunny locations in grasslands, on the edges of pinyon-juniper woodlands, on sandy or limestone soils.^[2]

It was named for Dr. Donald Pinkava, professor emeritus at Arizona State University in Tempe. He studied Opuntia for many years. The species is one of the smaller members of the group, rarely more than 25 cm (10 inches) tall. Stems are green, flattened, up to 15 cm (6 inches) long. Flowers are magenta with yellow to magenta anthers and white styles. Fruits are tan, up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) long, dry when ripe.^[3][4]

There is a bit of confusion concerning the correct scientific name. Specimens of O. pinkavae were distributed for years labeled as "Opuntia kaibabensis", a name that was never validly published.^[5] Parfitt's original description coining the name Opuntia pinkavae and the treatment attributed to Pinkava in Flora of North America^[2] suggest that the name was offered as a replacement for another allegedly unpublished name, Opuntia basilaris var. woodburyi. However, the varietal name was indeed validly published, but chromosomal comparisons between it and O. pinkavae show that they are not the same taxon. Bottom line in this is that Opuntia pinkavae remains an accepted name with no synonyms.

References