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Home → Cacti → Opuntia → Opuntia microdasys
Plant ID
GD-CAC-022-00071
Common Name(s)
- Angel Wings
- White Bunny Ears
- White Polka-Dot Cactus
Scientific Name
Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff.
Horticultural Name: Opuntia microdasys var. albispina
Form: White-glochid form
Plant Photograph
Figure 1. Opuntia microdasys var. albispina — White-Glochid Form.
Photo Caption: Opuntia microdasys var. albispina displaying its characteristic flattened green pads densely marked with contrasting white glochid clusters, creating the distinctive polka-dot appearance.
Photography: Green Desert Botanical Library
Basic Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Genus | Opuntia |
| Scientific Name | Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff. |
| Horticultural Name | O. microdasys var. albispina |
| Common Name | Angel Wings / White Bunny Ears |
| Form | White-glochid form |
| Plant Type | Opuntioid cactus |
Plant Description
This specimen is distinguished by its flattened green pads covered with dense, pure-white glochid clusters. The evenly distributed white clusters create the characteristic spotted or polka-dot appearance associated with the White Bunny Ears form.
The name Opuntia microdasys var. albispina is widely used horticulturally for plants with white glochids. Modern taxonomic sources generally treat var. albispina as a synonym within Opuntia microdasys, whose species can naturally exhibit white or yellow glochids. (Plant Toolbox)
Life’s Whispers
“Against the green,
even the smallest points of white
can create a constellation of beauty.”
References
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