Opuntia azurea
Opuntia azurea, the purple prickly pear or coyotillo, is a long-spined prickly pear that is native to a variety of habitats, including desert, mountain grasslands, and slopes in the Big Bend region of Texas and in the states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, and Zacatecas in Mexico.[1] It flowers from March to May, with bright yellow flowers with red centres which produce red/purple fruits.[2] Opuntia azurea forms sprawling clusters, two to three feet high.[3]
| Opuntia azurea | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae | 
| Clade: | Tracheophytes | 
| Clade: | Angiosperms | 
| Clade: | Eudicots | 
| Order: | Caryophyllales | 
| Family: | Cactaceae | 
| Genus: | Opuntia | 
| Species: | O. azurea  | 
| Binomial name | |
| Opuntia azurea Rose  | |

Close up on a flower of Opuntia azurea in Majorelle's garden.

Opuntia azurea in Majorelle's garden.
Its subspecies may include:[4]
- O. azurea aureispina
 - O. azurea discolor
 - O. azurea azurea
 - O. azurea diplopurpurea
 - O. azurea parva.
 - O. azurea arueispina
 
However, instead of subspecies, five varieties have been described and ssp. "arueispina" is not recognized.
- O. aureispina
 - O. azurea
 - O. discolor
 - O. diplopurpurea, and
 - O. parva.[5]
 
References
    
- Rose, Joseph. "Contributions from the United States National Herbarium" (PDF). Opuntia Web. Joseph Shaw. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
 - A. Michael Powell; James F. Weedin (15 November 2004). Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Areas. Texas Tech University Press. pp. 130–141. ISBN 978-0-89672-531-7. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
 - The American South West
 - Texas Cacti: Purple Prickly Pear
 - Ferguson, David. "Opuntia azurea". Opuntia Web. Joseph Shaw. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
 
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