opuntia genus --- cactus family

buckhorn cholla (Opuntia acanthocarpa) -- in March -- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ     red & pink   

Big Bend pricklypear (Opuntia aggeria) -- in April -- River Road East, Big Bend National Park, TX    yellow & orange    

Big Bend purplish pricklypear (Opuntia azurea var. parva) -- in April -- Big Bend National Park, TX     yellow & orange   

purple pricklypear (Opuntia azurea) -- in April -- Big Bend National Park, Texas     yellow & orange  

beavertail pricklypear (Opuntia basilaris) -- in March -- Palo Verde, southern California          red & pink ​    

beavertail pricklypear (Opuntia basilaris) -- in March -- Death Valley National Park, CA   

teddy-bear cholla (Opuntia bigelovii) -- in January -- Joshua Tree National Park, CA              green & brown      

Big Bend devil cholla (Opuntia densispina) -- in April -- River Road East, Big Bend National Park, Texas    yellow & orange 

sweet prickly pear (Opuntia dulcis) -- in April -- River Road East, Big Bend National Park, Texas   yellow & orange   

Christmas cholla (Opuntia leptocaulis) -- in April -- Big Bend Ranch State Park, TX   yellow & orange

bigroot pricklypear (Opuntia macrorhiza) -- in June -- Horsetooth Reservoir, Larimer County Open Space, CO

bigroot pricklypear (Opuntia macrorhiza) -- in July -- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

bigroot pricklypear (Opuntia macrorhiza) -- in November -- Gateway Natural Area, Fort Collins, Larimer County, CO

                                                                                                                                       glochids at 20x magnification

bigroot pricklypear (Opuntia macrorhiza) -- in December -- Bellvue, Larimer County Foothills, CO

tulip pricklypear (Opuntia phaeacantha) -- in May -- Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, CO     ​yellow & orange

tulip pricklypear (Opuntia phaeacantha) -- in April -- Big Bend Ranch State Park, TX    yellow & orange

plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) -- in June -- Hall Ranch Open Space, Boulder County, CO

plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) -- in July -- Young Gulch, Poudre Canyon, Larimer County, CO

plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) -- in June -- Cherokee Park State Wildlife Area, CO   yellow & orange

plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) -- in June -- Pawnee National Grassland, CO       red & pink      

starvation pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha) -- in May -- Overlook Trail, LSP, CO   yellow & orange

starvation pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha) -- in June, Wray, Yuma County, CO

spiny-fruited pricklypear (Opuntia spinosibacca) -- in April -- Big Bend National Park, TX     yellow & orange