Opuntia austrina | |
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In Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park, Lake Placid, Florida | |
Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Cactaceae |
Genus: | Opuntia |
Species: | O. austrina
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Binomial name | |
Opuntia austrina | |
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Range
[1]
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Synonyms | |
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Opuntia austrina, also known as the Florida prickly pear (with other common names such as the devils-tongue and hammock prickly pear), is a prickly pear cactus species that is endemic to Florida in the United States.
Opuntia austrina has joints (also known as cladodes [2] and pads [3]), which are the segments that grow from the single, cylindrical stem, [4] that are elongated with the length most of the time 2 to 3 times the width. [5] The joints are often dark green in color. [2] Just like other cactus species, O. austrina has spines on the joints and on the stem. O. austrina can grow up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in height, [6] which will form large shrubs but can also form small treelets. [4] This cactus' plants are flowering, with yellow flowers that produce red fruits. [3]
This species of prickly pear is mostly found in South Florida, [6] in sandy substrates often in brushy dunes inland and mangrove edges on the coast. [5] Other native habitats include scrub, scrubby flatwoods, and xeric, or dry, disturbed areas. [3] The yellow flowers of this cactus attracts many pollinators in this ecosystem like bees and other insects including the dotted skipper. [3]
This cactus species is considered to be endemic to Florida, [3] but has been also recorded in other states. [7] This species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. [1] However, a potential threat is one found in all members of the genus Opuntia – the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum), [3] an invasive species that arrived to Florida in 1989 and has been a serious threat to the cacti in this genus all over North America. [3]