Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. mesacantha
FAMILY
Cactaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read about the Taxonomic revision of the Opuntia humifusa complex, including maps and photographs.
Read more about Opuntia at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
This is the most common species in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain and Atlantic Southern Piedmont, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Opuntia humifusa
FAMILY
Cactaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. mesacantha
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America
Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2010)
Opuntia 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 pollardii
COMMON NAME:
Eastern Prickly-pear
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_ophu_001_lvd
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmohumifusavarhumif_pc1
April Pickens County SC
Poe Creek State Forest
Stem made up of jointed pads shaped like ping pong paddles, ~ 1/2" thick, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmohumifusavarhumif_pc2
April Pickens County SC
Poe Creek State Forest
Fruit a shiny reddish-brown berry, edible after tiny spines are removed, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_o_humifusa_humifusa3
May Moore County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm0405zb_06
May Greenville County SC
Chandler Heritage Preserve
The tiny leaves below the clumps of hairlike spines (glochids) fall early, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).
)
JK Marlow jkm0405zb_22
May Greenville County SC
Chandler Heritage Preserve
Spines 2-3" long may or may not be present among the smaller hairy barbs, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).
)
JK Marlow jkm200516_4851
May Pickens County SC
)
Dan Whitten sdw_053121_pricklypear
May Greenville County SC
Chandler Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm060603_052
June Pickens County SC
Areoles generally 3(4) per diagonal row at midstem [vs. O. humifusa 4(5)], per Taxonomic revision of the Opuntia humifusa complex (Opuntieae: Cactaceae) of the eastern US (Majure et al., 2017).
)
JK Marlow jkm060604_043
June Pickens County SC
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmohumifusa_lrhabit
June Pickens County SC
Table Rock State Park
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmohumifusavarhumif_lr5
June Pickens County SC
Table Rock State Park
Tepals entirely yellow or greenish yellow, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmohumifusavarhumif_lr6
June Pickens County SC
Table Rock State Park
Anthers pale yellow to cream; style and stigma lobes white, per Flora of North America.
)
Tim Spira tpsohumifusa2
June
)
JK Marlow jkm090816_030
August Pickens County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm221010_0331
October Pickens County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. mesacantha
FAMILY
Cactaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Opuntia humifusa
FAMILY
Cactaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Opuntia mesacantha ssp. mesacantha
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America
Opuntia humifusa var. humifusa
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2010)
Opuntia 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 pollardii
988
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Granite outcrops, coastal dunes and scrub, longleaf pine sandhills, pine forests in sandy soils, Gulf Coast barrier Islands (AL, FL panhandle, MS), riverine sands, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Carolina Coastal Plain (uncommon to rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
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!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p208
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p495
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p202
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p098?
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p358?
- Guide to the Plants of Granite Outcrops (Murdy & Carter, 2000) p67
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p157
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p159
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p141
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p412?
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p222
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p111
- Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses (Murphy et al., 1992) p074
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