Santa Rita Flower

This flower from my Santa Rita prickly pear cactus came out formed a little differently than usual.  Something about the petals struck me.  I think they seemed a little larger than what I am used to seeing from these cacti.  All of that fuzzy, sticky stuff is pollen.

The Santa Rita prickly pear is native to the valley in which I live, in the shadow of the Santa Rita Mountains, after which (obviously) they are named.  It is extremely rare to see them anywhere else in the wild.  What makes this cactus especially unique are its purple or fuchsia colored pads.  The more stressed the plant, the more prominent, and darker, the color.

(The photo makes the flower look much larger than it is.  In actuality, its diameter was about 4.5 cm.)