O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to Cacti genera too plentiful to enumerate. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.

Moderator: mcvansoest

Post Reply
User avatar
Spination
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5266
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:06 am
Location: Sonoma, Ca.

O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#1

Post by Spination »

This plant (as a single pad) was on another older thread previously ID'd tentatively as O. gosseliana, but not the Santa Rita as I thought. I believe that astute observation is now confirmed with the advent of it's first flower.
One distinction as I recall mentioned is that the pure yellow flower is gosseliana, whereas the Santa Rita flower is a bit different. Or?
2016 05 10 Opuntia gosseliana  b X750.jpg
2016 05 10 Opuntia gosseliana b X750.jpg (156.08 KiB) Viewed 1458 times
2016 05 10 Opuntia gosseliana  a.JPG
2016 05 10 Opuntia gosseliana a.JPG (123.3 KiB) Viewed 1458 times
Not that my eye is sharp enough with these to tell the difference, but this plant below is the real Santa Rita (thanks!!! Thijs) D))
2016 05 10 Opuntia gosseliana var Santa Rita X750.jpg
2016 05 10 Opuntia gosseliana var Santa Rita X750.jpg (171.92 KiB) Viewed 1458 times
User avatar
mcvansoest
Moderator
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:22 pm
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA ie. Low Desert & Urban Heat Island
USDA Zone: 9a/b
Contact:

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#2

Post by mcvansoest »

Spination, that plant i sent you I got labeled as O. santarita... I have had people question that and suggest it might be O. gosseliana as well. I have found no reason to doubt the original plant label, but....
Those plants are very very similar: Check the plants out at opuntiads.com. Both are reported there with fully yellow flowers and as varieties of O. chlorotica...
It is what it is!
User avatar
Spination
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5266
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:06 am
Location: Sonoma, Ca.

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#3

Post by Spination »

Thanks for the additional info...even if they're the same, it's a very nice plant, and I don't mind having another at all. :U

It could be an individual plant sort of thing, but I'm noticing that the one you just sent me is already more red than when I got it (and not for lack of water). It's not my imagination either, pictures confirm it as well. The one I had, at least the more aged pad is reluctant to turn red, although the brand new pads are very colored up. Both are located very close to each other, so getting the same quality/duration of sunshine. At least as far as the individual plants go, the one you sent me seems definitely more apt to color with sun.

Maybe I'll get a flower on the new one this next year, and I can compare further.

Either way, I really like them and while it's nice having the correct ID, it's the plants that I find quite appealing.
User avatar
mcvansoest
Moderator
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:22 pm
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA ie. Low Desert & Urban Heat Island
USDA Zone: 9a/b
Contact:

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#4

Post by mcvansoest »

Here are two pictures of flowers on the mother plant of the plant that I sent you. One looks pretty much full yellow, while you could maybe detect a hint of an orange-red throat in the other...
IMG_1475.jpg
IMG_1475.jpg (75.86 KiB) Viewed 1446 times
IMG_1500.jpg
IMG_1500.jpg (118.71 KiB) Viewed 1446 times
They are great plants too look at, but terrible plants to have to handle... Fortunately they are not huge sprawlers, more upright and bushy, so somewhat containable.

Here are a couple of pictures of the O. stenopetala mother plant - more of a sprawler rather than a bushy plant. First an overview, second pic a close-up of the flower which are really cool looking.
IMG_1745.jpg
IMG_1745.jpg (174.72 KiB) Viewed 1446 times
IMG_1789.jpg
IMG_1789.jpg (104.99 KiB) Viewed 1446 times
It is what it is!
User avatar
Spination
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5266
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:06 am
Location: Sonoma, Ca.

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#5

Post by Spination »

Awesome, great photos! Much to look forward to as they grow. D))
Stan
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5689
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: Hayward ca/SF bay area
USDA Zone: 10a

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#6

Post by Stan »

I was told this was O.macrocentra. It will as summer goes on turn very purple. Maybe with orange and reds splotched in.
Attachments
IMG_3525.JPG
IMG_3525.JPG (97.69 KiB) Viewed 1434 times
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
User avatar
WhalesToungueAgave
Offset
Posts: 116
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 10:36 pm
Location: Roanoke VA

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#7

Post by WhalesToungueAgave »

Here is my Optunia Violacea Macrocentra Texas Santa Rita pad cuttings I got in April that Bloomed
Attachments
100_2869 (1077 x 607).jpg
100_2869 (1077 x 607).jpg (61.36 KiB) Viewed 1431 times
100_2918 (1077 x 607).jpg
100_2918 (1077 x 607).jpg (78.41 KiB) Viewed 1431 times
100_2916 (1077 x 607).jpg
100_2916 (1077 x 607).jpg (53.52 KiB) Viewed 1431 times
100_2887 (1077 x 607).jpg
100_2887 (1077 x 607).jpg (80.42 KiB) Viewed 1431 times
100_2921 (1077 x 607).jpg
100_2921 (1077 x 607).jpg (103.45 KiB) Viewed 1431 times
User avatar
mcvansoest
Moderator
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:22 pm
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA ie. Low Desert & Urban Heat Island
USDA Zone: 9a/b
Contact:

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#8

Post by mcvansoest »

Does not look wrong for macrocentra, Stan.
WTA - looking good.
It is what it is!
User avatar
Peterthecactusguy
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 270
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:06 pm
Location: Black Canyon City, AZ

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#9

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

There is some confusion in the description of O. santa-rita and O. gosseliniana in Anderson's The Cactus Family. Because of these mistakes in his book it has led to some confusion, however, if the pads come from a plant in the US they are most likely O. santa-rita. O. gosseliniana is a real species but its confined to across the border in Sonora, Mexico. O. santa-rita has pure yellow flowers. All the plants in here with yellow flowers are O. santa-rita. The others were what Anderson made a mistake with, he mistakenly used a sample that was mislabeled for his description of O. santa-rita, and it was rather a form of O. macrocentra. All of those plants are in the famous old named (Opuntia violacea) which has been split up into O. macrocentra, O. azurea, O. gosseliniana, O. santa-rita, and O. chlorotica. Hope this clears it up a little bit.
Stan
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 5689
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: Hayward ca/SF bay area
USDA Zone: 10a

Re: O. gosseliana ID confirmed?

#10

Post by Stan »

If I remember right- no promises- Mine is O.macrocentra because of the flower and large spines. O.goss,etc, being short spined?
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
Post Reply