Juniper cactus (Opuntia polyacantha juniperina)
Description
Opuntia polyacantha juniperina is much like var polyacantha in many traits,but it has fewer spines that are confined to the upper areoles.Lower areoles may have only one or two tiny spines or no spines.The fruit is often spineless or nearly so.It is found in mountainous areas of the Colorado Plateaus and Southern Rocky Mountains,but it is rare in the Front Range region.It is found in southern WY,CO, eastern UT,northern AZ,and northern and central NM.Similar groups of plants are scattered into ID and north into northern WY and in the Black Hills as well as the higher plateaus and mountain country of northern AZ.It is replaced to the west by var utahensis(the division is the north-south trending,central high plateaus and mountains of Utah).It usually grows in open conifer woodland,mountain scrub,or in areas of sagebrush.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Caryophyllales
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Family: Cactaceae
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Genus: Opuntia
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