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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

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Unknown
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?†, 1932 [reported by Caum but no spm.]); Wichman & St. John 1990:113 (Ni, observed but no spm.)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Opuntia ficus-indica Former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Northern Trap & Skeet Range In Leucaena-Prosopis woodland on limestone With Leucaena leucocephala, Prosopis pallida, and Asystasia gangetica. Preserved_Specimen <1 m tall. BISH staff 64 Oahu BISH 2021-05-11
2 Opuntia ficus-indica Makolelau Aalii shrublands. Preserved_Specimen Erect tree. Common. 10 cm section removed from top. No spines because young. Hughes, G.D. 37 Molokai BISH 1992-03-14
3 Opuntia ficus-indica Volcanoes National Park, Ainahou Ranch area, Poliokeawe Pali Preserved_Specimen Orange flowers, yellow fruit Kageler, D. 19862 Hawaii BISH 1985-09-01
4 Opuntia ficus-indica Honolulu, Punchbowl, near Prospect and Pele Sts. Preserved_Specimen Bushy, 4 ft tall; petals yellow, rotata; fruit tan colored or reddish-tinged; joints easily detached. St.John, H. 12069 Oahu BISH 1932-07-30
5 Opuntia ficus-indica Honolulu, Punchbowl Preserved_Specimen 2 m tall. Tepals buttercup yellow with tinges of mandarin red. Flowers not fragrant (late morning) Lau, J. 1136 Oahu BISH 1985-06-24
6 Opuntia ficus-indica 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 2.5 m tall, irregularly branching, pads green, slightly glaucous. Corolla pale orage. Lorence, D.H. 5237 Kauai BISH 1987-05-15
7 Opuntia ficus-indica 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 1991-03-06
8 Opuntia ficus-indica Keomuku Road Growing in Dodonaea shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 109914 Lanai BISH 1999-10-24
9 Opuntia ficus-indica Honolulu, Punchbowl Preserved_Specimen 2 m tall. Tepals buttercup yellow with tinges of mandarin red. Flowers not fragrant (late morning) Lau, J. 1136 Oahu BISH 1985-06-24
10 Opuntia ficus-indica Punchbowl St., near Prospect and Pele Sts., Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Bushy, 4'; petals yellow; fr. tan-colored or reddish tinged Westgate, J.M. Oahu BISH 1932-07-30
11 Opuntia ficus-indica Honolulu, valley below Kamehameha Schools Preserved_Specimen Branch somewhate obovate, 20x11.25, base 2.25 and tip .75-1 long. Juv. leafy branch grew to 8 long after large branch was collected. Lvs. nearly cylindrical, .5 long, succulent, curved Lee, C. Oahu BISH 1952-01-30
12 Opuntia ficus-indica Volcanoes National Park, Ainahou Ranch area, Poliokeawe Pali Preserved_Specimen Orange flowers, yellow fruit Kageler, D. 19862 Hawaii BISH 1985-09-01
13 Opuntia ficus-indica 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 1985-06-24
14 Opuntia ficus-indica Honolulu, US. Experiment Station Preserved_Specimen Westgate, J.M. Oahu BISH 1932-07-30
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