Opuntia mesacantha Raf. subsp. lata (Small) Majure

Prickly Pear

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Prickly Pear is a native perennial in the Cactus family (Cactaceae). It can be found mostly on the coastal plain. Prickly Pear occurs on dunes, in sandhills, and on deep sand deposits along rivers. Prickly Pear is a perennial from a fibrous root system. The stems are creeping, forming mats, or are sometimes upright. The stems are divided into segments that do not easily detach. The stems segments are known as pads or cladophylls (flattened stems that take on the function of leaves). The pads are flattened, ovate to obovate in outline, with a waxy surface. The pads are glabrous and dark green in color or purple-red when stressed by cold or drought. Small bumps on the surface of the pads are known as areoles. There are 0-2 stout, retrorsely barbed-spines per areole and a crescent area of smaller bristles known as glochids. The spines are firmly attached, but the glochids are easily detached. Flowers are produced singly from the areoles. The outer tepals (petals and sepals) are bright lemon yellow with traces of green on the outer surface, the inner tepals are bright yellow throughout. The fruit is a berry containing many seed. This is the most common native cactus in Alabama. Individuals, even within the same population can vary greatly in size and number of spines. This species sometimes hybridizes with Cock Spur Prickly Pear (Opuntia drummondii Graham [=pusilla]) when the two co-occur. Hybrids are intermediate between the parents in characteristics. Eastern Prickly Pear is available from nurseries specializing in cacti and succulents. It requires a well-draining sandy soil and full sun. Plants can also be grown by rooting stem segments or from seed.--A. Diamond

For many decades, most Alabama native Opuntia were identified as O. pusilla [=drummondii] or O. humifusa. Maclure et al (2017) found that most of the Alabama "humifusa" determinations were in fact O. mesacantha (both subsp.) or O. cespitosa. While Maclure et al did not see any true O. humifusa specimens from Alabama in their study, that taxon is to be expected be part of the flora but less common than O. mesacantha and O. cespitosa. All specimens below that remain identified as O. humifusa should be reevaluated and placed accordingly.

Native

Majure, L.C., W.S. Judd, P.S. Soltis, and D.E. Soltis. 2017. Taxonomic revision of the Opuntia humifusa complex (Opuntieae: Cactaceae) of the eastern United States. Phytotaxa 290 (1): 001-065.