Opuntia aciculata Opuntia aciculata Opuntia aciculata, also called Chenille pricklypear, old man's whiskers, and cowboy’s red whiskers, is a perennial dicot and an attractive ornamental cactus native to Texas. It belongs to the genus "Opuntia" prickly pear cacti. It is also widespread in Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas (northern Mexico). It was reported from Nuevo León, Mexico, according to D. Weniger in 1970. The specific name "aciculata" derives from many sources: the Latin word "acicula" which means “a small pin for a headdress”, and the adjectival suffix for nouns "atus", meaning possessive of or likeness to something (with, shaped, made), while for verb participles
Opuntia dulcis Opuntia dulcis Opuntia dulcis has been described as a variety of, and is confused with, "O. phaeacantha". However, "O. dulcis" is a larger plant with ascending branches, to 2 ft (exceptionally 4 ft). While it is a larger plant, immature specimens of O. dulcis may overlap in size with O. phaeacantha. "Opuntia dulcis" resembles "O. engelmannii" in some ways but does not become as erect or large as that species. Also, the spines of "O. dulcis" are finer than those of "O. engelmannii". "O. dulcis" is found across the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is