Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf.

Eastern Prickly-Pear

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

This species is spineless armed only with glochids. All other native Opuntia in Alabama bear spines.

Opuntia humifusa was formally a "catch-all" species for all specimens from Alabama that were not O. drummondii [=pusilla]. Maclure et al 2017 dramatically reduced the concept of O. humifusa leading to a situation where much of the Alabama "humifusa" material became identifiable with O. cespitosa or O. mesacantha (both subspecies). While Maclure et al did not examine any material from Alabama that ultimately remained identifiable with O. humifusa, it is strongly expected to be part of the flora but less common than other native species. All older herbarium specimens previously identified as O. humifusa should be reevlatuated and placed accordingly.

Native

[1] 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. [2] Majure, L.C. 2014. Typifications and a nomenclatural change in some eastern North American Opuntia (Cactaceae). Phytoneuron 2014-106: 1–2.