Opuntia santa-rita
Purple Prickly Pear Cactus, Santa Rita Prickly Pear
Oʼodham[unknown]
Description
Opuntia santa-rita is the "Purple Prickly Pear" cactus growing in sandy and gravelly soils from below 3000 ft to 4000 ft in the upper Sonoran Desert and desert grassland. The pads become red or purple in times of stress like winter or summer drought. Brilliant yellow flowers contrast strongly with the strongly colored pads. A synonym is Opuntia violaceae var. santa-rita. Also see Opuntia engelmannii and Opuntia chlorotica.
