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Opuntia ficus-indica

(L.) Mill. (1768)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Cactaceae Genus: Opuntia

pānini [panini], papipi, prickly pear, prickly pear cactus

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Highly specialized, usually succulent trees 3–5 m tall, with a definite trunk, usually spiny, the spines variable in number, size, arrangement, and color, produced from specialized axillary structures (areoles).

Stems: Joints dull green or gray when freesh, broadly obovate, 25–60 cm long, 20–40 cm wide, margins more or less entire. areoles spineless or with 1–6 white or yellowish spines 1–3 cm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves reduced, caducous. Blades subulate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary. Flowers usually bisexual (perfect), diurnal, 5–7 cm in diameter, very rarely unisexual, actinomorphic or occasionally zygomorphic. Outer perianth parts yellow with a green or reddish median stripe, 10–20 mm long, 15–20 mm wide, inner perianth parts yellowish to orangish yellow, rotate, 25–30 mm long, 15–20 mm wide, distinct, gradually grading from sepaloid to petaloid, usually not sharply differentiated into 2 series; receptacle tube very short, naked or with scales and areoles bearing hairs, bristles, or spines. Stamens numerous, inserted in the throat of the receptacle tube, staminal filaments yellow. Ovary inferior, with areoles bearing hairs, glochids, and often spines; style greenish, ca. 15 mm long; stigma lobes 8–10.

Fruit: Berries greenish white to yellow; yellowish brown; or reddish purple; depending on the strain; fleshy; barrel–shaped; 5–10 cm long; 4–9 cm in diameter; indehiscent. Seeds numerous; white to brown; flattened; enclosed in a hard; bony aril.

Ploidy: 2n = 22; 33; 44; 66; 88

Habitat: Naturalized in dry; disturbed habitats.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Gard. Dict. ed. 8: n.º 2 (1768)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:419 (K, O, M, Ka, H); Hughes 1995:2 (Mo); Oppenheimer & Bartlett 2002:5 (L); Staples & Herbst 2005:210 (KEY), 216 (DESCR); Wood & LeGrande 2006:22 (Le? [reported but unvouchered by Caum in 1936])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. makolelau dry slopes PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hughes, g.d. Molokai BISH 3/14/1992
2 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Volcanoes National Park, Ainahou Ranch area, Poliokeawe Pali PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Kageler, D. 1986-2 Hawaii BISH 9/1/1985
3 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Keomuku Road Growing in Dodonaea shrubland. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Oppenheimer, H.L. H109914 Lanai BISH 10/24/1999
4 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. volcanoes national park, ainahou ranch area, poliokeawe pali PRESERVED_SPECIMEN kageler, d. cuddihy, l.w. collector number: 1986-2 Hawaii BISH 9/1/1985
5 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Punchbowl St., near Prospect and Pele Sts., Honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Westgate, J.M. s.n. Oahu BISH 7/30/1932
6 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Honolulu, Punchbowl, near Prospect and Pele Sts. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN St. John, H. 12069 Oahu BISH 7/30/1932
7 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Makolelau Aalii shrublands. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hughes, G.D. 37 Molokai BISH 3/14/1992
8 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. honolulu, punchbowl PRESERVED_SPECIMEN lau, j. collector number: 1136 Kauai BISH 6/24/1985
9 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. keomuku road PRESERVED_SPECIMEN oppenheimer, h.l. collector number: h109914 BISH 10/24/1999
10 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Honolulu, US. Experiment Station PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Westgate, J.M. s.n. Oahu BISH 7/30/1932
11 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. ahihi-kinau natural area reserve, kipuka at the head of the trail towards pohaku paea from the midstop along makena-keoneoio road Pockets of vegetation in a'a lava and at roadside. On small plant in the kipuka. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN abbott, i.a. norris, f.m. collector number: 91.68 Maui BISH 3/6/1991
12 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Waimea, W. side of Waimea Canyon just E. of Canyon Drive, at ~ 3 miles N of Waimea secondary vegetation of Leucaena leucocephala. Dry rocky slopes PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lorence, D.H. 5237 Kauai BISH 5/15/1987
13 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, Kipuka at the head of the trail towards Pohaku Paea from the midstop along Makena-Keoneoio road Pockets of vegetation in a'a lava and at roadside. On small plant in the kipuka. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Abbott, I.A. 91.68 Maui BISH 3/6/1991
14 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Honolulu, valley below Kamehameha Schools PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lee, C. s.n. Oahu BISH 1/30/1952
15 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. honolulu, valley below kamehameha schools PRESERVED_SPECIMEN lee, c. berrington, j. Oahu BISH 1/30/1952
16 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Keomuku Road Growing in Dodonaea shrubland. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Oppenheimer, H.L. Collector Number: H109914 Lanai BISH 10/24/1999
17 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. waimea, w. side of waimea canyon just e. of canyon drive, at ~ 3 miles n of waimea secondary vegetation of Leucaena leucocephala. Dry rocky slopes PRESERVED_SPECIMEN lorence, d.h. collector number: 5237 Kauai BISH 5/15/1987
18 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. makolelau Scattered on dry slopes. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hughes, g.d. collector number: s.n. Molokai BISH 3/14/1992
19 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN j. lau 1136 Maui US 6/24/1985
20 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. makapu'u point state wayside, road to makapu'u point Disturbed coastal dry mixed community PRESERVED_SPECIMEN c. r. annable 3122 NY 11/7/1996
21 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Honolulu, Punchbowl. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Joel Lau 1136 Oahu PTBG 6/24/1985
22 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Oahu Island, Kipapa gulch ? PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Vladimir J. Krajina 620205211 UBC 2/6/1962
23 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN m. bruegmann 136 Oahu US 1/17/1984
24 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Western side of Waimea Canyon just E . of Waimea Canyon Drive, at ca. 3 miles N. of Waimea. Secondary vegetation of Leucaena leucocephala and Opuntia ficus-indica. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN David H. Lorence 5237 Kauai PTBG 5/15/1987
25 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. North Kohala, Acacia koaja sanctuary, off N Kohala Rd., 5 mi NW of Waimea, at Waiakamali Gulch PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Wagner, W.L. 5569 Hawaii BISH 6/24/1985
26 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Honolulu, Punchbowl PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lau, J. 1136 Oahu BISH 6/24/1985
27 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. north kohala, acacia koaja sanctuary, off n kohala rd., 5 mi nw of waimea, at waiakamali gulch PRESERVED_SPECIMEN wagner, w.l. et al. collector number: 5569 Hawaii BISH 6/24/1985
28 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. punchbowl st., near prospect and pele sts., honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN westgate, j.m. Oahu BISH 7/30/1932
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