Opuntia monacantha f. monstruosa variegata “Joseph's Coat”

Opuntia monacantha f. monstruosa variegata commonly known as “Joseph's Coat” is one of the very few naturally occurring white-variegated cacti. It is a dwarf, teratological variant of the larger Prickly Pear cactus Opuntia monacanth. As its name suggests, this cactus is variegated or marbled with white, creamy-white, yellow, green and sometimes also with pink in varying patterns. It is an odd shrubby or tree-like plant that forms wonderfully tortured shapes usually less than 50 cm tall, but occasionally up to 1 m or more metres tall. To many it looks stretched or etiolated due to lack of light, but its actually a monstrous form.