Hello all!

So I noticed this cactus today in my university's greenhouse and saw that it was labeled as Opuntia humifusa. After researching this species online, I'm having a hard time deciding if this is actually correct! The long red/orange spines are what is throwing me off, because this plant is covered in them whereas the pictures I'm seeing online/in the database have a couple shorter spines but nothing like this!

Thank you!!

I'm no expert at cacti ID, but it sure doesn't look like what we have in our database.

I looked at the database, and I wonder if there are not at least 2 different plants being shown in the pictures and I am not sure that either of the most occurring plants can be positively identified as O. humifusa.

This website here is a great reference for North American Opuntias: opuntiads.com

Here is the link to their O. humifusa entry. I think Lindsay's pictures look pretty close though a little on the spiny side, but that is not that big of a deal, the spines look very similar:

https://www.opuntiads.com/opun...

It does look like someone needs to sort out the database for that species. I think your link does look like Lindsey's pic, Thijs.

Looks more like Opuntia fragilis or Opuntia pusilla to me. I have a whole bunch of different O. humifusa clones, and none of them look like this. Opuntias are very variable, though, so it could be O. humifusa, but the plant in your photos looks very much like some of my O. fragilis and O. pusilla.

Could you post a few pics of yours, Paul?

Sure thing, I'll do that tomorrow. Although they have already gone dormant and are wrinkled, purplish, and flat

Oh well, we don't mind! We love photos.

Hahaha did you see the one in my pic?! It doesn't look too hot.

I'm not sure what kind of Opuntia Lindsey photographed but I did notice that the branch on top is lying on top - it is not connected to the rest of the plant. That, and the plant is in desperate need of re-potting.