Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelm. var. cuija Griffiths & Hare
Tuna, cactus apple
This variety of Engelmann’s prickly pear is native to New Mexico, and large areas of Mexico.
Plants: 3–8′ (91–243 cm) high, in clumps up to 15′ (4.6 m) wide, usually with no central trunk. Thick pads are oval or rounded. Spines are chalky white, sometimes yellow, and sometimes absent, in widely spaced aereoles in clusters of 2-6. There are many varieties of this species, owing to their tendency to hybridize with related species.
Flowers: Yellow, sometimes orange to pink to red, rarely whitish; with green stigmas. Flowers appear from April to July.
Fruits: Barrel-shaped, purple-red, with very short spines or no spines.
Habitats: Desert scrub, grasslands, oak/pine/juniper woodlands, at elevations of 492–5906′ (150–1800 m).
Edibility: Fruits, called tunas, are edible. Flavor is variable, and often compared to watermelon.
Online References:
References:
Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm. var. cuija (Griffiths & Hare) L.D. Benson
5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Caryophyllidae | Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts |
| Order | Caryophyllales | Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants |
| Family | Cactaceae | Succulent (water-storing) plants, often spiny |
| Genus | Opuntia | Prickly pears |
| Species | engelmannii | After Georg(e) Engelmann (1809-1884), a German-born St. Louis physician and botanist, and prolific author on cacti, North American conifers and oaks |
| var. | cuija | From the Spanish vernacular name of the fruit of this cactus |
Opuntia engelmannii var. cuija description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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