Opuntia id

[Mal H]

Out of respect for opuntia spines I photographed this small-padded one in situ. First time flowering from a 'bag of pads', and a name would be nice, please. I don't know the name of the broad-spined opuntia on the right either.

[Phil_SK]

It's a Tunilla. Tunilla names are mostly meaningless in my opinion. It's Maihueniopsis platyacantha on the right.

[Mal H]

Thanks Phil, good to have names, even if sp.

[MikeT]

It's Maihueniopsis platyacantha on the right.

Disagreeing with Phil is a hazardous activity, but isn't it Opuntia papyracantha on the right and a Maihueniopsis on the left?

[RAYWOODBRIDGE]

Hi Mal I agree with Phil, Tunilla names are approx at best, but the plant in the middle you ask about is usually known as Tunilla soehrensii or if you follow the new system it is Airampoa ayrampo.
Mike; the Maihueniopsis nigrispinus on the left is now classified as Tephrocactus nigrispinus

[Mike P]

I have that Tunilla clone and mine is labelled as a 'sp.' Many of the ones in cultivation (and there are a large number) do not have data with them and as they are wildly variable as a group naming them is a minefield. The flower form is more T soehrensii than T corrugata so you might want to add aff. soehrenii to the lablel...
I would agree with the diagnosis of the plant on the right as M platyacantha.

[Mal H]

Thanks for the names and info folks, much appreciated.

So hoping to take advantage of your collective knowledge, you might be able to confirm these three are also Tunilla sp. The last one came as Opuntia perdita?

1.

2

perdita?

[Tony R]

Hi Mal,

Yes. All Tunilla sp.! I have all 3 of these too. The third one, if named, I have as perita, not perdita, but it is a dubious name I think.

But good to see you enjoying tunillas - certainly rewarding with flowers of many colours.

[Mike P]

Second one I acquired with the name 'chilensis' attached. I dont think that is correct - it has a dark orange/red flower which is nice but flowers sparsely for me.

[Mal H]

Thanks both for the name info, and yes Tony these Tunilla are worth their space when they flower