"centers, and sometimes peach, pinkish or reddish overall. The edible fruits are red or purple with green flesh. The pads and fruit bear tiny glochids which can lodge in the skin and cause irritation. This plant, like other ""Opuntia"" species, is attacked by cactus moth. Older names for this species, and names for old species which are now considered variants of this species, include plateau prickly pear, brown-spined prickly-pear, Mojave prickly pear, and Kingman prickly pear. The species is widespread, from California to Texas to Colorado and New Mexico, and into Mexico. There are multiple variations and perhaps these will"
"the others, rarely an inch in length: flowers greenish yellow, 1-1¼ inches wide: fruit ovate to subglobose. with few spines or bristles, mostly sterile, an inch or less long; seeds few and large. Rocky Mountain region from Canada to New Mexico. Opuntia fragilis Opuntia fragilis, known by the common names brittle pricklypear and little prickly pear, is a prickly pear cactus native to much of western North America as well as some eastern states such as Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. It occurs in several Canadian provinces. It is known from farther north than any other cactus, occurring at as"
"Opuntia Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear, is a genus in the cactus family, ""Cactaceae"". Prickly pears are also known as ""tuna"" (fruit), ""sabra"", ""nopal"" (paddle, plural ""nopales"") from the Nahuatl word ""nōpalli"" for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word ""nōchtli"" for the fruit; or paddle cactus. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew and could be propagated by rooting its leaves. The most common culinary species is the Indian fig opuntia (""O. ficus-indica""). ""O. ficus-indica"" is a large trunk-forming segmented cactus which may grow to with"
"wild and cultivated to heights of 12–16 ft (4–5 m). In Namibia, ""O. ficus-indica"" is a common drought-resistant fodder plant. ""O. ficus-indica"" grows in many frost-free areas of the world, including the southern United States. The plant is considered an invasive species in northern Africa. Factors that limit the growth of prickly pear are rainfall, soil, atmospheric humidity and temperature. The minimum rainfall requirement is 200mm per year as long as the soils are sandy and deep. The ideal growth conditions when it comes to rainfall are 200–400 mm per year. ""O. ficus-indica"" is sensitive to lack of oxygen in"
"the Americas. Through human actions, they have since been introduced to many other areas of the world. Prickly pear species are found in abundance in Mexico, especially in the central and western regions, and in the Caribbean islands (West Indies). In the United States, prickly pears are native to many areas of the arid, semi-arid, and drought-prone Western and South Central United States, including the lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains and southern Great Plains, where species such as ""Opuntia phaeacantha"" and ""Opuntia polyacantha"" become dominant, and to the desert Southwest, where several types are endemic. Prickly pear cactus is"
"it means a completed action. Chenille prickly pear, one of its vernacular names, comes for the fringe of spines around the edge of the pad. The specific name also means ""covered with small pins"". This plant grows numerous stems covered with spines. The stems have segments partly rounded at the apex. They are faded and dull grey-green, more or less glaucous. They measure 10–20 cm in length. The leaves are acicular and ephemeral. The aeroles are often spineless with symmetrical regularity of them on the body. They are large, widely separated. It has numerous glochids or microspines, 3–12 mm long,"
"a crown of possibly in diameter and a trunk diameter of . Cladodes (large pads) are green to blue-green, bearing few spines up to or may be spineless. Prickly pears typically grow with flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) containing large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hairlike prickles called glochids that readily adhere to skin or hair, then detach from the plant. The flowers are typically large, axillary, solitary, bisexual, and epiperigynous, with a perianth consisting of distinct, spirally arranged tepals and a hypanthium. The stamens are numerous and in spiral or whorled clusters, and the gynoecium has numerous inferior"
"Prickly pears in Australia Prickly pears (Genus ""Opuntia"") are an invasive plant species in Australia. Prickly pears (mostly ""Opuntia stricta"") were imported into Australia in the 19th century for use as a natural agricultural fence and in an attempt to establish a cochineal dye industry. Many of these, especially the Tiger Pear, quickly became widespread invasive species, rendering of farming land unproductive. The moth ""Cactoblastis cactorum"" from South America, whose larvae eat prickly pear, was introduced in 1925 and almost wiped out the population. This case is often cited as an example of successful biological pest control. In the early"
"in the United States. This was dubbed the ""Cactus Curtain"", an allusion to Europe's Iron Curtain and the Bamboo Curtain in East Asia. Opuntia Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear, is a genus in the cactus family, ""Cactaceae"". Prickly pears are also known as ""tuna"" (fruit), ""sabra"", ""nopal"" (paddle, plural ""nopales"") from the Nahuatl word ""nōpalli"" for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word ""nōchtli"" for the fruit; or paddle cactus. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew and could be propagated by rooting its leaves. The most"
"spread from New South Wales and caused great ecological damage in the eastern states. They are also found in the Mediterranean region of Northern Africa, especially in Tunisia, where they grow all over the countryside, and in parts of southern Europe, especially Spain, where they grow in the east, south-east and south of the country, and also in Malta, where they grow all over the islands. They can be found in enormous numbers in parts of South Africa, where they were introduced from South America. Prickly pears are considered an invasive species in Australia, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Hawaii, among"
"Opuntia gosseliniana Opuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the violet pricklypear, is a species of cactus that is native to Pima County, Arizona in the United States and Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora in Mexico. Like most prickly pears, the pads are flat. Unlike most prickly pears, they have a violet, pink, or red tinge, hence the name. The cactus reaches mature heights of one to five feet and blooms either yellow or red. Different authorities disagree on the division of plants into ""Opuntia chlorotica"", ""Opuntia violacea"", ""Opuntia gosseliniana"", ""Opuntia macrocentra"", and perhaps others. To complicate the issue, there are numerous"
"in ""A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony"" in 1839. Gastrolobium spinosum Gastrolobium spinosum, also known as prickly poison, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Southwest Australia The species ranges from 0.3 to 3.5 metres in height. It has leaves with spiky, dentate margins and a long, tapering, pointed apex. The pea flowers are yellow to orange with a band of red surrounding the yellow centre, and a pink and maroon keel. These are produced from early spring to early summer (September to December in Australia). The species was first formally"
"Opuntia cespitosa Opuntia cespitosa, commonly called the eastern prickly pear, is a species of cactus native to North America. It most common west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River, where it is found in the Midwest, Upper South and in Ontario. Its natural habitat is in dry, open areas, such as outcrops, glades, and barrens. ""Opuntia cespitosa"" is a prostrate succulent shrub, usually no more than 1-2 segments tall. It has large white spines, and a low layer of reddish-brown glochids, which break off in the skin if touched. It produces a yellow and red flower"
"in late spring. This species was historically included in a broadly-defined ""Opuntia humifusa"" group, which is found further to the east. ""Opuntia cespitosa"" differs from ""Opuntia humifusa"" in its flowers having a red center. Opuntia cespitosa Opuntia cespitosa, commonly called the eastern prickly pear, is a species of cactus native to North America. It most common west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River, where it is found in the Midwest, Upper South and in Ontario. Its natural habitat is in dry, open areas, such as outcrops, glades, and barrens. ""Opuntia cespitosa"" is a prostrate succulent shrub,"
"tall. The branches are made up of oval-shaped flat segments up to long. It is covered in clusters of yellowish spines long. The flowers are pale yellow to dull red occurring in May to June. The fruit is purplish red and up to long. The fruit is edible. Opuntia littoralis Opuntia littoralis is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common name coastal pricklypear. It is sometimes called the sprawling prickly pear due to its short stems and habit of growing close to the ground. """"Littoral"""" means ""pertaining to the seashore"". ""Opuntia littoralis"" is native to southern California"
"Opuntia fragilis Opuntia fragilis, known by the common names brittle pricklypear and little prickly pear, is a prickly pear cactus native to much of western North America as well as some eastern states such as Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. It occurs in several Canadian provinces. It is known from farther north than any other cactus, occurring at as far as 56°N latitude in British Columbia. There is an isolated and possibly genetically unique population in Eastern Ontario known as the ""Kaladar population"". Brittle pricklypear is a small decumbent cactus that grows to a maximum height of 10 centimeters (4"
"Acacia pulchella Acacia pulchella, commonly known as prickly moses, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. Endemic to Western Australia, it is one of the most common shrubs of the bushland around Perth and in the Darling Range. Prickly moses is one of only a small number of ""Acacia"" species to have true leaves, rather than phyllodes. It has feathery, bipinnate leaves with leaflets up to 5 mm long. At the base of each leaf is one or two spines. The flower heads are bright yellow and spherical, with a diameter of up to 1 cm. It flowers in late"
"other locations. Prickly pears (mostly ""Opuntia stricta"") were originally imported into Europe during the 1500s and Australia in the 18th century for gardens, and were later used as a natural agricultural fencing and in an attempt to establish a cochineal dye industry. They quickly became a widespread invasive weed, eventually converting of farming land into an impenetrable green jungle of prickly pear, in places high. Scores of farmers were driven off their land by what they called the ""green hell""; their abandoned homes were crushed under the cactus growth, which advanced at a rate of per year. In 1919, the"
"long. The fruit is a toothed capsule containing several small yellowish seeds. Arenaria aculeata Arenaria aculeata (syn. ""Eremogone aculeata"") is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common name prickly sandwort. It is native to the western United States, where it grows mainly in mountainous areas, on rocky slopes and volcanic soils. This is a mat-forming perennial herb growing in clumps of waxy foliage on short, hairy, glandular stems. The leaves are very thin and pointed, somewhat needlelike, and up to 3 or 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence is an open array of flowers with"
"or gravelly soils. It is one of the shorter species of the genus, rarely over 30 cm (1 foot) tall, spreading horizontally and forming large clumps. Flowers are showy and bright yellow, sometimes with red markings near the base of the petals. Fruits are narrow, red, juicy and edible. Several varieties have proposed within the species. More study is needed to determine whether these should continue to be recognized as varieties, elevated to species status, or regarded as mere synonyms. Opuntia macrorhiza Opuntia macrorhiza is a common and widespread species of cactus with the common names plains prickly pear or"
"also native to sandy coastal beach scrub environments of the East Coast from Florida to southern Connecticut (""Opuntia humifusa""). ""Opuntia"" species are the most cold-tolerant of the lowland cacti, extending into western and southern Canada; one subspecies, ""O. fragilis"" var. ""fragilis"", has been found growing along the Beatton River in central British Columbia, southwest of Cecil Lake at 56° 17’ N latitude and 120° 39’ W longitude. Prickly pears also produce a fruit, commonly eaten in Mexico and in the Mediterranean region, known as ""tuna""; it also is used to make ""aguas frescas"". The fruit can be red, wine-red, green,"
"and early summer. The fruit is a pea type pod, oval or oblong, 10 mm long and 2.5 mm in diameter, and are curved or straight. Podolobium ilicifolium Podolobium ilicifolium, the Prickly Shaggy-pea is a shrub found in eastern and southern Australia. It is a common plant, found in dry or moist eucalyptus forest, often on clay or sandstone based soils. It grows to three metres tall. The leaves are opposite or nearly opposite on the stem, and are 2 to 10 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. They are spikey and lobed, somewhat similar to the holly."
"to 6 centimeters long. It was common along the coasts and adjacent inland areas of California, but development has reduced its populations. Opuntia oricola Opuntia oricola is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common name chaparral prickly pear. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats. ""Opuntia oricola"" is a large treelike cactus often exceeding 2 meters in height. The branches are made up of rounded flat segments up to 25 centimeters long. It is covered in clusters of curved, yellowish spines usually around 2 centimeters"
"plants brought to Queensland as garden plants. By 1862 prickly pear was growing in the Chinchilla district and spread rapidly in areas where land holdings were extensive and population relatively low. Prickly pear was declared a noxious weed in Queensland in 1893. By 1900 approximately were affected by prickly pear; an area which had extended to an estimated by 1920. About half of this area was so densely covered by prickly pear that the land was useless for production. The costs of mechanical and chemical methods of eradication exceeded the value of the land and therefore did not prove economically"
"Opuntia littoralis Opuntia littoralis is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common name coastal pricklypear. It is sometimes called the sprawling prickly pear due to its short stems and habit of growing close to the ground. """"Littoral"""" means ""pertaining to the seashore"". ""Opuntia littoralis"" is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats. The cactus is variable in appearance; there are several varieties and hybrids with similar species are commonly found. ""Opuntia littoralis"" generally grows in dense clumps spreading several meters wide and up to a meter-3 feet"
"natural hybrids between species. The above-mentioned taxonomic issues complicate any attempt to describe the distribution of particular varieties or species. ""O. gosseliniana"" is especially known from Mexico, but has been reported from Arizona. Opuntia gosseliniana Opuntia gosseliniana, commonly known as the violet pricklypear, is a species of cactus that is native to Pima County, Arizona in the United States and Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora in Mexico. Like most prickly pears, the pads are flat. Unlike most prickly pears, they have a violet, pink, or red tinge, hence the name. The cactus reaches mature heights of one to five feet"
"prickly European plant, the Juniper. In 1805 this species first appeared in the scientific literature by Christiaan Persoon in his ""Synopsis Plantarum"". And in 1810 it appeared in the ""Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae"", authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown. Leucopogon juniperinus Leucopogon juniperinus, also known as prickly beard-heath, is a common shrub found in eastern Australia. Found on a variety of soil types and habitats in eucalyptus woodland or forest. Often seen on more fertile sedimentary based clay soils. A dense, small prickly plant usually less than a metre high. It features attractive long white flowers and sweet"
"Urospermum picroides Urospermum picroides is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name prickly goldenfleece. It is native to Eurasia and it is known as an introduced species in many other regions, including North and South America, Australia, and southern Africa. It grows as a common weed in disturbed habitat. This annual herb grows up to 30 to 50 centimeters tall. It is coated in long hairs and bristles. The bristly leaves are variously shaped, often divided into many sharp-toothed lobes. The inflorescence bears flower heads on thick peduncles. The head is 1 to"
"4 millimeters in length with a broad notch on one side and prominent ridge. Because of its striking stem and bloom color the ""Opuntia macrocentra"" cactus is cultivated as an ornamental plant for drought tolerant and native plant gardens, and as a potted plant. Like many other cacti in the ""Opuntia"" genus, the fruit produced by ""Opuntia macrocentra"" is edible. Collection of this cactus, and its fruit, is restricted in some areas for conservation needs. Opuntia macrocentra Opuntia macrocentra, the long-spined purplish prickly pear or purple pricklypear, is a cactus found in the lower Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico."
"in shallow, loose soils, such as on mountain slopes. ""Opuntia"" spreads into large clonal colonies, which contribute to its being considered a noxious weed in some places. Animals that eat ""Opuntia"" include the prickly pear island snail and ""Cyclura"" rock iguanas. The fruit are relished by many arid land animals, chiefly birds, which thus help distribute the seeds. ""Opuntia"" pathogens include the sac fungus ""Colletotrichum coccodes"" and Sammons' Opuntia virus. The ant ""Crematogaster opuntiae"" and the spider ""Theridion opuntia"" are named because of their association with prickly pear cacti. Like most true cactus species, prickly pears are native only to"
"Gastrolobium spinosum Gastrolobium spinosum, also known as prickly poison, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Southwest Australia The species ranges from 0.3 to 3.5 metres in height. It has leaves with spiky, dentate margins and a long, tapering, pointed apex. The pea flowers are yellow to orange with a band of red surrounding the yellow centre, and a pink and maroon keel. These are produced from early spring to early summer (September to December in Australia). The species was first formally described by English botanist George Bentham, this description being published by John Lindley"
"in the food web. Charles Darwin was the first to note that these cacti have thigmotactic anthers: when the anthers are touched, they curl over, depositing their pollen. This movement can be seen by gently poking the anthers of an open ""Opuntia"" flower. The same trait has evolved convergently in other cacti (e.g. ""Lophophora""). The first introduction of prickly pears into Australia is ascribed to Governor Philip and the earliest colonists in 1788. Brought from Brazil to Sydney, prickly pear grew in Sydney, New South Wales, where they were rediscovered in a farmer's garden in 1839. They appear to have"
"Argemone pinnatisecta Argemone pinnatisecta, known as the Sacramento prickly poppy, is an angiosperm and part of the poppy family. A very thorny looking perennial that grows up to a meter and a half in height. The thorny stems are covered in bluish green serrated leaves with spiky tips. The flower buds are also covered in these sharp thin thorns until they open, between May and August, revealing six white petals up to four centimeters long and nine centimeters wide, and a bright yellow anther with various stamens jetting out. The fruits of plant contain black seeds about two millimeters in"