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Accepted Scientific Name: Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri cv. Gomei
The segments are often scalloped more or leas raised at areoles and larger joints always more or lees wavy, bluish green, 30 to 40 cm long.
Origin and Habitat: Opuntia gomeiSN|31966]]SN|31966]] is found near the coast of southern TX and inland 100 miles or more.
Type locality: USA, Texas, Loma Alta, near Brownsville
Habitat and ecology: Opuntia gomeiSN|31966]]SN|31966]] inhabits the lower edges of the slight elevations in the delta of the Rio Grande River and often extends both into the huisache flats and the mesquite areas of higher elevations. It is, therefore, in all probability, able to thrive upon land containing considerable soluble salts. It is often found growing scatteringly upon land entirely devoid of brush and which periodically overflows. In these areas, however, it frequently gets killed out on account of the overflows which occur at irregular intervals, and again becomes established thinly before another period of overflow occurs.
Synonyms:
- Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri cv. Gomei
- Opuntia gomei Griffiths
- Opuntia lindheimeri cv. Gomei Guiggi
Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm.
Cact. Hort. Dyck. (1849) Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6(2): 207 (-208). 1850 [Jan 1850] et: Cact. Hort. Dyck. (1849). 1849: 235. 1850 [Apr 1850]
Synonymy: 21
- Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm.
- Opuntia dillei Griffiths
- Opuntia engelmannii var. alta (Griffiths) Weniger
- Opuntia alta Griffiths
- Opuntia engelmannii var. cacanapa (Griffiths & Hare) Weniger
- Opuntia cacanapa Griffiths & Hare
- Opuntia engelmannii var. cyclodes Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow
- Opuntia cyclodes (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) Rose
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. cyclodes (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) J.M.Coult.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. discata (Griffiths) C.Z.Nelson
- Opuntia discata Griffiths
- Opuntia phaeacantha var. discata (Griffiths) L.D.Benson & Walk.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. megacarpa (Griffiths) Fosberg
- Opuntia megacarpa Griffiths
- Opuntia occidentalis var. megacarpa (Griffiths) Munz
- Opuntia engelmannii var. subarmata (Griffiths) D.Weniger
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. subarmata (Griffiths) Elizondo & Wehbe
- Opuntia subarmata Griffiths
- Opuntia microcarpa Engelm.
- Opuntia procumbens Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow
- Opuntia tricolor Griffiths
Opuntia engelmannii subs. aciculata (Griffiths) U.Guzmán & Mandujano
Cactaceae Syst. Init. 16: 18 (11 Oct. 2003). (first published in U.Guzmán et al., Catálogo Cact. Mex.: 179 [May 2003])
Synonymy: 5
- Opuntia engelmannii subs. aciculata (Griffiths) U.Guzmán & Mandujano
- Opuntia aciculata Griffiths
- Opuntia engelmannii var. aciculata (Griffiths) Weniger
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. aciculata (Griffiths) Bravo
- Opuntia aciculata var. orbiculata Backeb.
Opuntia engelmannii var. cuija Griffiths
New Mexico Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 60: 44, pl. 2. 1906
Synonymy: 4
- Opuntia engelmannii var. cuija Griffiths
- Opuntia cuija (Griffiths & Hare) Britton & Rose
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. cuija (Griffiths) L.D.Benson
- Opuntia cantabrigiensis Lynch
Opuntia engelmannii var. dulcis (Engelm.) J.M.Coult. ex K.Schum.
Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 725 725 1898.
Synonymy: 2
- Opuntia engelmannii var. dulcis (Engelm.) J.M.Coult. ex K.Schum.
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. dulcis (Engelm.) J.M.Coult.
Opuntia engelmannii var. flavescens (Peebles) L.D.Benson
Cacti Ariz. 58 58 1950.
Synonymy: 2
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flavescens (Peebles) L.D.Benson
- Opuntia flavescens Peebles
Opuntia engelmannii var. flavispina (L.D.Benson) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
Madroño 35: 348. 1988
Synonymy: 2
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flavispina (L.D.Benson) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
- Opuntia phaeacantha var. flavispina L.D.Benson
Opuntia engelmannii var. flexospina (Griffiths) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
Madroño 35(4): 348 348 1988
Synonymy: 3
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flexospina (Griffiths) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
- Opuntia flexospina Griffiths
- Opuntia strigil var. flexospina (Griffiths) L.D.Benson
Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri (Engelm.) U.Guzmán & Mandujano
Cactaceae Syst. Init. 16: 18 (11 Oct. 2003), first published in U.Guzmán et al., Catálogo Cact. Mex.: 179 [May 2003]
Synonymy: 6
- Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri (Engelm.) U.Guzmán & Mandujano
- Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri (Engelm.) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
- Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm.
- Opuntia tardospina Griffiths
- Opuntia cyanella Griffiths
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. lehmannii L.D.Benson
Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis (Griffiths) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
Madroño 35(4): 347. 1989 [1988 publ. 1989]
Synonymy: 3
- Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis (Griffiths) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava
- Opuntia lindheimeri var. linguiformis (Griffiths) L.D.Benson
- Opuntia linguiformis Griffiths
- Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri cv. Gomei
- Opuntia gomei Griffiths
- Opuntia lindheimeri cv. Gomei Guiggi
Description: Gome's Opuntia (a.k.a. Opuntia gomeiSN|31966]]SN|31966]]) is a poorly known and controversial cactus species that has been conflated with Opuntia engelmannii subsp. lindheimeri. It is a richly branched, emerging shrubs or small, shrubby trees up to 1 m in height and 8 (or more) meters in diameter, the old centres containing much dead material when plants are large. The segments are often scalloped more or leas raised at areoles and larger joints always more or lees wavy, bluish green, 30 to 40 cm long. Flowers red, red-orange or yellow. A spineless variety called ‘Old Mexico’ is known in the nursery trade; it forms large shrubs and, like the species, has large cladodes and the flowers yellow.
Derivation of specific name: Named for William Gome, a colleague of the author.
Stems: Main branches commonly on edge and secondary ones erect from them. Joints subcircular to ovate often tapered toward the apex, rarely blue-green, varying to sometimes slightly yellowish green, 90 to 40 cm. in diameter, or often in last year's joints only 20 cm. in diameter and then almost invariably sub-circular, more or leas raised at areoles and larger joints always more or lees wavy.
Areoles: Obovate, 6 to 10 mm. in diameter, bright brown when young, changing to dirty brown and finally to grey-black, mostly raised and surrounded by an irregular, dry, brown-grey, slightly cracked rim or area, varying from 21 to 5 cm. apart; glochids yellow, abundant, very prominent, about 1 cm. long, more abundant above, but often filling entire areole.
Spines: Yellow, somewhat flattened, often faintly annular, not twisted, 3 to 5 cm. long, upright, spreading, sometimes increasing irregularly with age, 0 to 5 in number, mostly 1 to 4.
Flowers: Yellow, stigma large, bright deep green, 9 to 10 parted.
Fruits: Reddish purple.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Opuntia engelmannii group
Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm.: (var. engelmannii) Spines chalky white, yellow when wetted, with dark red-brown extreme bases.- Opuntia engelmannii subs. aciculata (Griffiths) U.Guzmán & Mandujano: has numerous, 3-12 mm long, acicular, spreading, glochids forming a dense cluster, golden yellow from all part of the areoles, persisting for several years. Distribution: South-western USA (Texas ), north-western Mexico.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. cuija Griffiths: endemic to Mexico, in Guanajuato, Hidalgo, San Luis Potos
- Opuntia engelmannii var. cyclodes Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow
- Opuntia engelmannii var. dulcis (Engelm.) J.M.Coult. ex K.Schum.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flavescens (Peebles) L.D.Benson
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flavispina (L.D.Benson) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava: Spines arching downward near bases. South-central Arizona.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flexospina (Griffiths) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava: Spines strongly deflexed. South Texas.
- Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri (Engelm.) U.Guzmán & Mandujano: Stem segments with spines straight or slightly curving, spreading. It is endemic to U.S. in Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.
- Opuntia engelmannii subs. lindheimeri cv. Gomei: the segments are often scalloped, wavy at margins and more or leas raised at areoles. Origin: near the coast of southern texas, USA.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis (Griffiths) B.D.Parfitt & Pinkava: Stem segments becoming very elongate, 2+ times longer than wide, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, often falcate. Distribution: Texas.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) J. Neumann. “Monatsschrift für Kakteenkunde”, Volumes 22-23, 1912
2) “Bradleya: Yearbook of the British Cactus and Succulent Society”, Volumes 15-16 The Society, 1997
3) D. Griffiths, Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden 21: 167-168, t. 21, 22, lower fig., 1910
4) Guiggi, “NOMENCLATURAL ADJUSTMENTS IN THE GENUS OPUNTIA MILLER (OPUNTIOIDEAE – OPUNTIEAE) FROM NORTH AMERICA” Cactology 3, Supp 2: 3. 2012.
Cultivation and Propagation: It is a low maintenance plant that tolerate considerable neglect and will naturalize, it is drought-tolerant; and suitable for xeriscaping. Easy to cultivate outdoor in dry, sandy or gravely, well-drained soils. May be grown in clay soils as long as drainage is good and soils do not remain wet, it is very adaptable both in acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils, but prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5. No serious insect or disease problems.
Watering Needs: Outdoors little or no water once established, in the green house irrigate regularly from March to october, keep fairly dry in winter, tolerate dry condition but suffer if exposed to prolonged and severe drought. A position at the base of a south-facing wall or somewhere that can be protected from winter rain is best for this plant, but is however resistant to moisture and rain.
Sun Exposure: Full sun (only), in semi shaded position wont produce many flowers.
Frost hardiness: They are reasonably cold hardy , tolerating temperatures down to -5° to -12° C (USDA: 8-10) depending on clone, they are also quite tolerant of winter wet. (In good drained soils)
Traditional uses: The fruit are edible and the tender joints can be coked as a vegetable. In medicine the plant are used to treat dyspepsia, mumps, swelling and in veterinary it is used to treat bruises. The joints are also a good food for cattle (after burning of spines)
Propagation: Propagated by cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. (Allow cut surface to callus over before planting).
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