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Home → Cacti → Opuntia → Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata
Plant ID
GD-CAC-022-0070
Common Name(s)
- Crested Bunny Ears
- Wavy Bunny Ears
- Funny Bunny
- Yellow-Glochid Crested Bunny Ears
Scientific Name
Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff.
Horticultural Form: Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata
Form: Crested / monstrose yellow-glochid form
The name O. microdasys var. pallida f. cristata is used horticulturally for this distinctive twisted, crested form. Kew currently treats O. microdasys var. pallida as a synonym of Opuntia microdasys, while specialist horticultural references use the pallida f. cristata designation for the twisted yellow-glochid form. (Plants of the World Online)
Plant Photograph
Figure 1. Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata — Crested Bunny Ears.
Photo Caption: A striking crested form of Opuntia microdasys with irregularly twisted and undulating green pads densely covered with bright yellow glochids, creating the characteristic “Funny Bunny” appearance.
Photography: Green Desert Botanical Library
Basic Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Genus | Opuntia |
| Scientific Name | Opuntia microdasys |
| Horticultural Form | var. pallida f. cristata |
| Common Name | Crested Bunny Ears |
| Form | Crested / monstrose |
| Glochid Color | Bright yellow |
| Plant Type | Opuntioid cactus |
Plant Description
This specimen is distinguished by its strongly twisted, undulating and crested pads, rather than the normally flat, regular pads of typical Opuntia microdasys. The pads are densely covered with bright yellow glochids, producing a striking golden, textured appearance.
The combination of distorted pad growth and yellow glochids is characteristic of the horticultural form known as Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata, also associated with the names Wavy Bunny Ears and Funny Bunny. (CALS Communications & Cyber Technologies)
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into something wonderfully unexpected.”
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