OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. lata   FAMILY Cactaceae   Go to FSUS key



INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Opuntia humifusa   FAMILY Cactaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Opuntia mesacantha ssp. lata

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)

Opuntia humifusa

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 4 (2003)

Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 132-01-001?:

Opuntia compressa   FAMILY Cactaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Opuntia impedita

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Opuntia lata

 

COMMON NAME:
Southern Prickly-pear


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Opuntia mesacantha ssp. lata, Southern Prickly-pear

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_ophu_001_lvd

        

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. lata   FAMILY Cactaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Opuntia humifusa   FAMILY Cactaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. lata

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Opuntia humifusa

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 4
Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 132-01-001?:
Opuntia compressa   FAMILY Cactaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Opuntia impedita

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Opuntia lata

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

4866

Shrub
Perennial

Habitat: Coastal dunes and scrub, sandhills, borders of pine flatwoods, scrub, coastal islands (FL, GA, SC), riverine sands, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in GA, uncommon in SC, rare in NC

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Cladodes armed with glochids (hair-like spines or short prickles) & stout spines

LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Yellow
Radially symmetrical
Numerous tepals (usually)
Numerous stamens (usually)
Inferior ovary
Bisexual or sometimes functionally staminate

FRUIT:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
Purple/ Reddish-brown
Berry

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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