Opuntia in the food web. Charles Darwin was the first to note that these cacti have thigmotactic anthers: when the anthers are touched, they curl over, depositing their pollen. This movement can be seen by gently poking the anthers of an open "Opuntia" flower. The same trait has evolved convergently in other cacti (e.g. "Lophophora"). The first introduction of prickly pears into Australia is ascribed to Governor Philip and the earliest colonists in 1788. Brought from Brazil to Sydney, prickly pear grew in Sydney, New South Wales, where they were rediscovered in a farmer's garden in 1839. They appear to have
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to Pinkava in Flora of North America suggest that the name was offered as a replacement for another allegedly unpublished name, "Opuntia basilaris" var.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.