Opuntia with leaves ID

[sroberts]

I believe this is a species of Opuntia but it has leaves. These leaves stayed on through the winter the first year I had this but dropped this last winter. Grew back in the spring and have been on ever since.

This plant is in a 10" pot. Any body have a clue as to what is is?

Thanks, Steve

[cactusman]

Hello Steve,
I would venture to say that it isn't a cactus but perhaps a Euphorbia. Ingens maybe! If you scratch or nick it does a whitish sap flow from it? If so, then almost certainly a Euphorbia. John

[sroberts]

Well , I had never thought about it being a Euphorbia before... the main body of the plant just looks so Opunti..ish to me. But I did poke the surface with a scribe and white latex oozed out. It had the same feel between my fingertips when I rubbed them together too. I have many Euphorbias and have read many books and visited lots of web pages but have never seen this before.

When I purchased this plant it was the only one the nursery had. I've never seen another of these plants anywhere.

Thanks John! I probably wouldn't have thought to make that check.

It's not Euphorbia ingens though...my plant has no ribs and doesn't seem to match up with the pictures I've looked at overall.

Well, there's only 2150 different species of Euphorbia to check, shouldn't take but a few minutes...

Can this post be transferred to the appropriate forum?

[wintergrower]

It looks like Euphorbia nerifolia.

[sroberts]

Thanks Wintergrower!!

I looked this up and wasn't sure at first but then found out there is a cristata form which is what this is.

Incidentally, the picture that made me convinced was a picture of Palmbob's on that other site he goes to.

Thanks again, Steve