Plants are sprawling or erect, much-branched succulent shrubs reaching a height of 2 m. The cladodes (stems) are green to bluish-green, flattened, and about 10-25 cm long and usually 7.5-15 cm broad. From the areoles develop the stout, slightly curved yellowish spines, varying in numbers from entirely absent to groups of one or two or more, normally clusters. Clochids (spine clusters) are yellow and relatively few, up to 5 mm long in the spinier var. dillenii. The flowers are bright yellow and typically cactus-like, appearing during the summer months (Benson, 1982). The species is best identified by its typical pear-shaped to spherical fruit, purple-coloured at maturity, 4-6 cm long and 2.5-3 cm in diameter. Its outer surface is smooth and spineless except for a few glochids imbedded in the small areoles. The pulp is intense purple in colour and sour tasting and contains about 60 hard-coated seeds. Older plants develop woody stems which provide support to the larger plants.
Related invasive species
- Opuntia stricta
Related Farm Practice
- Groups
O. stricta, native from Ecuador to the USA, was introduced as an ornamental and has spread widely, mainly in southern Africa and Australia, but also more recently in the Mediterranean basin and in disturbed areas in its native Caribbean. Successful biological control programmes have, however, severely reduced the spread of this species in many areas where introduced, though there continues to be a risk of further introduction through the nursery trade.