Blind prickly pear

Description

Opuntia rufida is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common name blind prickly pear. It is so noted because its glochids may blind cattle. It is native to southern the Big Bend region of Texas and adjacent Mexico, where it grows on limestone. The much-branched plants may reach 3-ft tall and a bit wider. The species makes up for its total lack of spines with a profusion of red-brown glochids. It is closely related to Opuntia microdasys, and is sometimes taken as its subspecies, O. m. subsp. rufida.