What is it?
By Hmhb
Louisiana,
United States 
I often rescue plants from estate sales/garage sales, some nearly dead, but I get them for free sometimes because they are sitting in a dusty window, in a garage, or abandoned in the flower bed! This one has grown by leaps and bounds, besides cactus, I don't know what it is. I'm adding more photos to my "photo stop" so you can get a better idea. Thanks.
22 Sep, 2009
Answers
Very pretty....I can see a spine.above the bloom to the left.....it looks pretty lethal..:))
22 Sep, 2009
It's an Opuntia of some sort. That new flattened stem top right still has the characteristic reduced leaves that will soon drop off. At first I thought Schlumbergia (Christmas Cactus) or Rhipsalis but those tiny reduced leaves are the give away.
As to which species of Opuntia??? It's the largest genus in the Cactus family with if my memory serves me well something like 200 different species give or take. That flower is small too so should narrow it down.
One more thing, if it is an Opuntia, try gently stroking the stamens in the centre of the flower. If it's an Opuntia, (most) have motile stamens that close tightly around the central stigma when gently brushed.
22 Sep, 2009
Very pretty whatever it is!
22 Sep, 2009
Looks very similar to Queen of the Night cactus, though the flower is smaller................
22 Sep, 2009
Pretty certain that it's Opuntia brasiliensis after a little research.
23 Sep, 2009
Link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y-2MbTldR-4DaCaoNQjLtA
23 Sep, 2009
Thank you everyone for pointing me in the right direction; mystery is solved. Fractal, you are absolutely correct, and you saved me hours of searching! Much to my amazement, in its' natural environment, it can grow to 80 feet tall; and, I was wondering how I was going to get my little 3-4 foot plant back in the greenhouse. Opuntia brasiliensis, it is! (Brazilian prickly pear)
23 Sep, 2009
That is beautiful it looks like cactus leaves, does it have spines as well?
22 Sep, 2009