Opuntia echios Bay on Santa Cruz, "Opuntia echios" var. "inermis" on the Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela and "Opuntia echios" var. "zacana" on North Seymour. Opuntia echios Opuntia echios is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) and is commonly known as the Galápagos prickly pear, but there are five other species of prickly pears that also are endemic to the archipelago ("O. galapageia", "O. helleri", "O. insularis", "O. megasperma" and "O. saxicola"). There are five varieties of "Opuntia echios", each with a different appearance and distribution: "Opuntia echios" var. "echios" on the
Opuntia pinkavae magenta anthers and white styles. Fruits are tan, up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) long, dry when ripe. There is a bit of confusion concerning the correct scientific name. Specimens of "O. pinkavae" were distributed for years labeled as ""Opuntia kaibabensis"", a name that was never validly published. Parfitt's original description coining the name "Opuntia pinkavae" and the treatment attributed to Pinkava in Flora of North America suggest that the name was offered as a replacement for another allegedly unpublished name, "Opuntia basilaris" var. "woodburyi". However, the varietal name was indeed validly published, but chromosomal comparisons between it and "O.