Opuntia gosseliniana Opuntia gosseliniana Opuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the violet pricklypear, is a species of cactus that is native to Pima County, Arizona in the United States and Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora in Mexico. Like most prickly pears, the pads are flat. Unlike most prickly pears, they have a violet, pink, or red tinge, hence the name. The cactus reaches mature heights of one to five feet and blooms either yellow or red. Different authorities disagree on the division of plants into "Opuntia chlorotica", "Opuntia violacea", "Opuntia gosseliniana", "Opuntia macrocentra", and perhaps others. To complicate the issue, there are numerous
Opuntia dulcis common in trans-Pecos Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It has been observed in the mountains of southern Nevada.. 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.