The Eastern Prickly Pear is a striking plant with beautiful flowers. It has fewer spines than many western species of cactus, but they are still fairly formidable. Sometimes this cactus can form impressively large colonies, if it persists at the same location for a sufficiently long period of time. The only other cactus with a similar size and appearance in Illinois is Opuntia macrorhiza (Big-Rooted Prickly Pear); this species differs from the Eastern Prickly Pear by its thick tuberous root, and two or more spines can appear from each of its areoles, rather than just one. In the past, the Eastern Prickly Pear has been referred to by various scientific names, including Opuntia compressa and Opuntia rafinesquei. Return

This native perennial plant is 1-2½' tall. It consists of 1-3 levels of flattened pads, starting with a single pad on the ground. Each pad is up to 10' long, 7' across, and 1½' thick. One or two new pads may develop from the top of the original pad, providing a limited branching ability. Older pads tend to be bluish green, while younger pads are green. The pads are evergreen during the winter, but have a tendency to appear yellowish and desiccated at this time. There are several areoles scattered around each pad. A single spine (sometimes two) may develop from an areole; the spines are light grey or light brown and highly variable in length – usually 4' or less. There are also small deciduous leaves near the areoles – these are usually green and scale-like in appearance, but quickly drop from the plant. One or more flower buds can form on the top of a pad. They are individually up to 2' long and 1' around, green and scaly, with a knob-like shape. Each bud produces a single flower about 3-4' across. The flowers are satiny yellow and very showy, consisting of several petals that surround numerous stamens with yellow anthers. Sometimes the flowers are red or orange-red toward the center. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer and lasts about a month for a colony of plants, although each flower lasts only a single day. There is no floral scent. A fleshy fruit develops that is spiny and turns yellow when mature. The root system is fibrous, shallow, and spreading. The upper pads often break off from the lower pads, and are capable of re-rooting in the ground. In this manner, new plants are created vegetatively.

(key to state/province abbreviations)


UNITED STATES

AL	AR	CO	CT	DE	FL	GA	IA	IL	IN
KS	KY	LA	MA	MD	MI	MO	MS	MT	NC
NB	NJ	NM	NY	OH	OK	PA	RI	SC	SD
TN	TX	VA	WI	WV

CANADA

ON

Eastern pricklypear is widely distributed across North America. It occurs from
Ontario south to Florida; west to Montana and New Mexico; and east to
Massachusetts and South Carolina. Eastern pricklypear is rare in Ontario, Ohio, and Pennsylvania [49]. The Flora of North America provides a distribution map of eastern
eastern pricklypear and its varieties.

Varieties: Florida devil's-tongue only occurs in Florida. Southeastern
eastern pricklypear occurs from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas.
Devil's-tongue occurs throughout the general distribution range of eastern
eastern pricklypear [49,79].

The Eastern Prickly Pear has been occasionally observed in about half of the counties in Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is most likely to be found in sandy or hilly areas along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, in hilly areas of southern Illinois, and sandy or rocky areas of northern Illinois. This is by far the most common cactus in Illinois. Habitats include openings in sandy forests, sandy savannas, sand prairies, gravel prairies, barrens and rocky bluffs, sandstone and limestone glades, sand dunes, rocky or sandy slopes along major rivers and lakes, sandy cemeteries, and pastures. Some local populations are the result of restoration efforts or escapes from cultivation.

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [11]:

7 Lower Basin and Range

12 Colorado Plateau

13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont

14 Great Plains

16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf.:
China (Asia)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Montana, Great Lakes, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan, Mas- sachusetts, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Florida.

Shrubs, forming clumps or often prostrate, usually only 1 or 2 stem segments tall, to 0.5 m (except in Florida where they may be erect and reach to 2+ m with short trunk), flattened to obovoid, sometimes from tuberlike rootstocks. Stem segments not disarticulating, dark or bright shiny green, wrinkling when stressed, circular to broadly oblong to obovate, 5-17.5 × 4-12 cm, fleshy, usually tuberculate, glabrous; areoles 4-6 per diagonal row across midstem segment, oval to circular, 2-4 mm diam., not raised, sometimes somewhat sunken; wool tan to brown. Spines often absent or 1-2(-3) per areole, spreading, whitish to brownish, terete, straight, and usually stout, 25-60 mm; occasionally also 1 deflexed spine present. Glochids in dense crescent of adaxial edge of areole and in dense tuft overtopping crescent in age, yellow to red-brown, to 4 mm. Flowers: inner tepals pale to bright yellow throughout, 20-30 mm diam.; filaments yellow to orange; anthers pale yellow to cream; style and stigma lobes white. Fruits greenish, tardily becoming apricot to brownish red, elongate, 30-50 × 12-20 mm, fleshy, tapering at base; pulp green and sour, becoming reddish and sweet under ideal conditions; areoles 10-18. Seeds tan, 3.5-4.5 mm diam., thickish; girdle protruding to 1 mm.

Cactus humifusus Rafinesque, Ann. Nat. 1: 15. 1820

Neotype for Cactus humifusus Raf.
Catalog Number: US 1326734
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Verification Degree: ; Original publication and alleged type specimen examined
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): E. Wherry
Year Collected: 1927
Locality: Berks, Pennsylvania, United States, North America

More info for the terms: cactus, caudex, cover, forbs, hemicryptophyte, layering, monoecious, stem succulent, succession, tree, xeric

Eastern pricklypear occurs in a variety of desert, grassland, prairie, and
woodland communities. It occurs as a community associate and not a dominant
species [9]. Brief descriptions of the common dominants and associates are
presented below.

Eastern pricklypear is commonly found in sandhill prairie communities dominated
by big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium),
and prairie sandreed (Calamovilfa longifolia). Other common
associates in these communities include Addison's rosette grass (Dichanthelium
ovale var. addisonii), goat's rue (Tephrosia virginiana),
porcupine grass (Hesperostipa spartea), Muhlenberg's sedge (Carex
muehlenbergii), sand lovegrass (Eragrostis trichodes), sand
sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia), soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca),
and western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) [2,26,28,50,69,71].
In shortgrass prairies dominated by blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
and buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), eastern pricklypear can
be one of the principal forbs [1,78,83]. Eastern prickly pear also occurs in
mixed grass prairies dominated by needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata)
and western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) [27].
In the Texas savanna vegetation type, eastern pricklypear can occur with a
variety of associates including mesquite (Prosopis spp.), acacias (Acacia
spp.), oaks, junipers (Juniperus spp.), bluestems, indiangrass (Sorghastrum
nutans), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), gramas, buffalo grass, and
Texas tussockgrass (Nassella leucotricha) [17].
Eastern pricklypear is a common associate in a wide variety of habitat types
dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and sand pine (P. clausa).
Overstory associates in these types include turkey oak (Quercus laevis),
bluejack oak (Q. incana), and sand live oak (Q. geminata).
Understory associates include pineland threeawn (Aristida stricta), dwarf palm (Sabal
minor), and Adam's needle (Y. filamentosa) [16,31,39,40,84].
In saw-palmetto (Serenoa repens) prairies, eastern pricklypear is
commonly found with inkberry (Ilex glabra), wiregrass, broomsedge
bluestem (Andropogon virginicus), carpet grass (Axonopus spp.) and
sand live oak [21,22].
Eastern pricklypear occurs on the drier sites in eastern redcedar (Juniperus
virginiana) glades where other associates include post oak (Q. stellata),
blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), winged elm (Ulmus alata), yaupon (I. vomitoria) [6,7,8,35].
It also occurs in
black oak (Q. velutina) savannas in Indiana [13], black
oak-eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) dunes in Michigan [61], and
turkey oak sandhills in Georgia [55].
In the upper dune zone of the beach vegetation type in Florida, southeastern
eastern pricklypear commonly occurs as an associate with aloe yucca
(Y. aloifolia) and finger rot (Cnidoscolus stimulosus) [66].


BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Opuntia humifusa

• GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS
• RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM
• REGENERATION PROCESSES
• SITE CHARACTERISTICS
• SUCCESSIONAL STATUS
• SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT

GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

This description provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology,
and is not meant for identification. Several florae provide keys for identifying
eastern pricklypear [9,29,38].

Eastern pricklypear is a perennial
native mat- or clump-forming cactus usually 3 to 4 inches (7.5-10 cm) tall. It
occasionally grows to 12 inches (30 cm) in height in Florida. The succulent stem
segments, or pads, are 1.5 to 4 inches (3.8-10 cm) long and 1.6 to 2.4 inches
(4-6 cm) wide. Areoles
on the pads give rise to 0 to 2 spines that are 1 to 2.4 inches (2.5-6
cm) long. Flowers are solitary, 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5-3.8 cm) in diameter.
The fruit is a fleshy berry 1 to 1.6 inches (2.5-4 cm) long. The seeds are
flattened, orbicular,
and 0.2 inch (4.5 mm) in diameter. The root system is shallow and fibrous
[9,29,34,58]. A caudex may develop in persistent stems [19].

Physiology:
Eastern pricklypear is considered highly drought tolerant [83].


RAUNKIAER [65] LIFE FORM:

Hemicryptophyte
Stem succulent


REGENERATION PROCESSES:

Eastern pricklypear reproduces from seeds, by layering, and sprouting from detached
stem segments and the caudex [19,75,83].

Breeding system:
Eastern pricklypear is monoecious [9].
Pollination:
Eastern pricklypear is pollinated by insects [9].
Seed production:
Throughout much of its distribution, eastern pricklypear relies primarily on
seeds for reproduction [83]. Flowers and fruits are 1st produced at 2 years of
age [24].
Seed dispersal:
Seeds of eastern pricklypear are primarily spread when the fruits are eaten by birds and a
variety of rodents including rabbits, woodrats, prairie-dogs, mice, and
ground squirrels. Ground squirrels may cache the seeds, some of which are later
consumed. Cached seeds that are not eaten may germinate and produce new plants
[25,83].

Seed banking:
No further information is available on this topic.
Germination:
Germination rate is reported to be low for seeds of Opuntia species [75]. In
laboratory tests, it was found that eastern pricklypear seeds collected from rabbit fecal scats had
a higher germination rate than seeds collected from unconsumed fruits. Seeds
collected from the scats required an average germination time of 41 days and had
a germination rate of 25%. Seeds collected from non-eaten fruits required 71 days and
germinated at a rate of 18% [25].

Seedling establishment/growth:
Although the literature reports that eastern pricklypear regenerates by seeds
[9], information is lacking on the specifics of seedling establishment and
growth.
Asexual regeneration:
Layering occurs when pads still attached to the parent plant take root into soil. Detached pads
also readily root into soil [75]. The pads can disperse by attaching to animals by the spines [83].
Opuntia species can sprout from the caudex when the
aboveground portion of the plant is destroyed [19].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS:

Eastern pricklypear is a species that can flourish under a great range of
conditions. It is found at elevations ranging from sea level to
5,500 feet (1,576 m), will grow well on various types of soils under a wide
range of moisture regimes, and can survive extremes of both hot and cold
temperatures [9,44].

The moisture regimes in which eastern
eastern pricklypear can thrive are quite varied. For example, the cactus occurs in
extremely xeric sandstone cedar glades in Kentucky and Tennessee, but also
thrives in the saw-palmetto prairies in Florida where the water table is often
at or near the ground surface [21,35].
Eastern pricklypear is winter hardy, being able to survive on sites where
the minimum winter temperatures can drop below 10 oF (-12 oC).
The cactus avoids freeze damage by rapidly reducing the water content in cells
during cold acclimation [53].
Eastern eastern pricklypear is most commonly found on sandy or gravely soils
but can also flourish on organic detritus and silty or loamy soils. It is tolerant of
low-nutrient, acid, and alkaline soils [9].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:

Eastern pricklypear is shade intolerant [50] and is
generally replaced by other species in advanced stages of succession [9].
The cactus colonizes disturbed sites and may persist through
late seral stages of plant succession. It colonizes bare coastal dunes in
some areas of the Northeast [76]. On the dunes of southern
Lake Michigan, it appears in early seral stages where it invades the beachgrass
(Ammophilia breviligulata)-prairie
sandreed communities of young dunes. It is found in late seral,
shrub-populated dunes on the shores of western Lake Michigan where
it persists after the invasion of jack pine and black oak. It dies
out as dense tree canopy cover develops [61]. Eastern pricklypear
is found in "climax" sand sagebrush communities in northeastern
Colorado [64].

SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Eastern pricklypear flowers from May to July [9]. Plants in Florida may
bloom year-round [87]. Fruits mature 2 to 3 months after flowering and may
persist until the following spring [9].

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):

More info for the terms: cover, hardwood, shrub

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [70]:

211 Creosote bush scrub

212 Blackbush

310 Needle-and-thread-blue grama

412 Juniper-pinyon woodland

501 Saltbush-greasewood

502 Grama-galleta

505 Grama-tobosa shrub

508 Creosotebush-tarbush

601 Bluestem prairie

602 Bluestem-prairie sandreed

603 Prairie sandreed-needlegrass

604 Bluestem-grama prairie

605 Sandsage prairie

606 Wheatgrass-bluestem-needlegrass

607 Wheatgrass-needlegrass

608 Wheatgrass-grama-needlegrass

609 Wheatgrass-grama

611 Blue grama-buffalo grass

612 Sagebrush-grass

704 Blue grama-western wheatgrass

705 Blue grama-galleta

706 Blue grama-sideoats grama

707 Blue grama-sideoats grama-black grama

709 Bluestem-grama

710 Bluestem prairie

711 Bluestem-sacahuista prairie

714 Grama-bluestem

715 Grama-buffalo grass

717 Little bluestem-Indiangrass-Texas wintergrass

718 Mesquite-grama

719 Mesquite-liveoak-seacoast bluestem

720 Sand bluestem-little bluestem (dunes)

721 Sand bluestem-little bluestem (plains)

722 Sand sagebrush-mixed prairie

727 Mesquite-buffalo grass

728 Mesquite-granjeno-acacia

729 Mesquite

730 Sand shinnery oak

731 Cross timbers-Oklahoma

732 Cross timbers-Texas (little bluestem-post oak)

733 Juniper-oak

734 Mesquite-oak

808 Sand pine scrub

809 Mixed hardwood and pine

810 Longleaf pine-turkey oak hills

811 South Florida flatwoods

812 North Florida flatwoods

814 Cabbage palm flatwoods

816 Cabbage palm hammocks

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: cover

SAF COVER TYPES [33]:

1 Jack pine

24 Hemlock-yellow birch

25 Sugar maple-beech-yellow birch

26 Sugar maple-basswood

27 Sugar maple

40 Post oak-blackjack oak

42 Bur Oak

45 Pitch pine

46 Eastern redcedar

52 White oak-black oak-northern red oak

60 Beech-sugar maple

66 Ashe juniper-redberry (Pinchot) juniper

67 Mohrs (shin) oak

68 Mesquite

69 Sand pine

70 Longleaf pine

71 Longleaf pine-scrub oak

72 Southern scrub oak

73 Southern redcedar

74 Cabbage palmetto

75 Shortleaf pine

76 Shortleaf pine-oak

78 Virginia pine-oak

79 Virginia pine

80 Loblolly pine-shortleaf pine

81 Loblolly pine

82 Loblolly pine-hardwood

83 Longleaf pine-slash pine

84 Slash pine

85 Slash pine-hardwood

98 Pond pine

110 Black oak

111 South Florida slash pine

220 Rocky Mountain juniper

239 Pinyon-juniper

240 Arizona cypress

241 Western live oak

242 Mesquite

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: shrub

KUCHLER [52] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

K023 Juniper-pinyon woodland

K027 Mesquite bosques

K038 Great Basin sagebrush

K039 Blackbrush

K040 Saltbush-greasewood

K044 Creosote bush-tarbush

K045 Ceniza shrub

K053 Grama-galleta steppe

K054 Grama-tobosa prairie

K056 Wheatgrass-needlegrass shrubsteppe

K058 Grama-tobosa shrubsteppe

K059 Trans-Pecos shrub savanna

K060 Mesquite savanna

K062 Mesquite-live oak savanna

K065 Grama-buffalo grass

K066 Wheatgrass-needlegrass

K067 Wheatgrass-bluestem-needlegrass

K068 Wheatgrass-grama-buffalo grass

K069 Bluestem-grama prairie

K070 Sandsage-bluestem prairie

K071 Shinnery

K072 Sea oats prairie

K074 Bluestem prairie

K075 Nebraska Sandhills prairie

K076 Blackland prairie

K077 Bluestem-sacahuista prairie

K079 Palmetto prairie

K081 Oak savanna

K082 Mosaic of K074 and K100

K084 Cross Timbers

K085 Mesquite-buffalo grass

K087 Mesquite-oak savanna

K088 Fayette prairie

K089 Black Belt

K090 Live oak-sea oats

K091 Cypress savanna

K099 Maple-basswood forest

K100 Oak-hickory forest

K102 Beech-maple forest

K104 Appalachian oak forest

K110 Northeastern oak-pine forest

K111 Oak-hickory-pine

K112 Southern mixed forest

K114 Pocosin

K115 Sand pine scrub

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

ECOSYSTEMS [36]:

FRES12 Longleaf-slash pine

FRES13 Loblolly-shortleaf pine

FRES15 Oak-hickory

FRES16 Oak-gum-cypress

FRES18 Maple-beech-birch

FRES29 Sagebrush

FRES30 Desert shrub

FRES31 Shinnery

FRES32 Texas savanna

FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe

FRES35 Pinyon-juniper

FRES38 Plains grasslands

FRES39 Prairie

FRES40 Desert grasslands

The Eastern Prickly Pear has been occasionally observed in about half of the counties in Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is most likely to be found in sandy or hilly areas along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, in hilly areas of southern Illinois, and sandy or rocky areas of northern Illinois. This is by far the most common cactus in Illinois. Habitats include openings in sandy forests, sandy savannas, sand prairies, gravel prairies, barrens and rocky bluffs, sandstone and limestone glades, sand dunes, rocky or sandy slopes along major rivers and lakes, sandy cemeteries, and pastures. Some local populations are the result of restoration efforts or escapes from cultivation.

Comments: Sandy soil and rock outrcrops (ranging from granitic to sand stone or limestone) of hills, valleys, and shores.

Primarily bees visit the flowers (both long-tongued and short-tongued), including Plasterer bees, Halictid bees, large Leaf-Cutting bees, Miner bees, bumblebees, and large Carpenter bees. Long-tongued bees suck nectar or collect pollen, while short-tongued bees collect pollen only; the larger bees are more likely to cause cross-pollination. In the eastern states, the relationship of cacti to wildlife is less well-known than in the western United States. From these western studies, it appear that the fruit and seeds are occasionally eaten by the Wild Turkey, Striped Skunk, and Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel. The fruit and stems (pads) are sometimes eaten by the Cottontail Rabbit, White-Tailed Deer, and Coyote, notwithstanding the spines. All of these animals occur in Illinois at the present time. The Ornate Box Turtle, which is found in sand prairies, probably eats the fruit of Eastern Prickly Pear as well. Those animals eating the fruits help to disperse the seeds, which can pass through their gullets unharmed. Photographic Location

Opuntia humifusa (Eastern Prickly Pear)
(Long-tongued bees suck nectar or collect pollen, while short-tongued bees usually collect pollen; beetle activity is unspecified; observations are from Mitchell, Moure & Hurd, LaBerge, and MacRae as indicated below)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus pensylvanica (Mch); Anthophoridae (Xylocopini): Xylocopa virginica (Mch); Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes communis communis (Mch), Melissodes coreopsis sn (Mch), Melissodes tepaneca (Mch), Melissodes wheeleri (Mch); Megachilidae (Megachilini): Lithurge littoralis (Mch), Megachile addenda (Mch), Megachile mendica (Mch), Megachile montivaga (Mch), Megachile texana (Mch)

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon splendens (Mch), Augochlorella striata (Mch), Halictus ligatus (Mch), Halictus rubicunda (MH), Lasioglossum coreopsis (Mch), Lasioglossum nymphalis (Mch), Lasioglossum pilosus pilosus (Mch); Colletidae (Colletinae): Colletes brevicornis sn/exp (LB)

Beetles
Buprestidae: Acmaeodera tubulus (McR)

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

Comments: Over 100 EOs (Benson 1982).

More info for the terms: fire frequency, frequency

Repeated fires can greatly reduce populations of small Opuntia spp. like
eastern pricklypear. High fire frequency may eliminate eastern pricklypears from a
site for many years until new plants reestablish from seeds or pads carried onto
the site by birds or mammals [10].

More info for the term: cactus

Eastern pricklypear establishes from singed or unburned pads after fire [10]. 
It probably also establishes from on- and off-site seed sources and pads
transported onto burns from off-site sources [12]; however, information on postfire
seedling establishment of eastern pricklypear and postfire pad transport is
lacking (as of 2005).

A spring fire in a sand lovegrass-little bluestem-prairie sandreed community in
Illinois destroyed most of the existing pads of eastern pricklypear. Sampling
showed good regrowth of the cactus 3 months after fire. However, mortality of the
new plants was high in the next 2 years following the burn. Prickly-pear
biomass was 34 g/m² 3 months after fire, 26 g/m² 1 year
after fire, and 10 g/m² 2 years after fire [2]. In
studies of other Opuntia spp., it was found that many plants that
sprout following fire are attacked by insects that spread bacterial and fungal
infections which subsequently kill the new stems [19].

More info for the terms: high-severity fire, litter

Moderate- or low-severity fires can kill the aboveground parts of Opuntia
spp. Some pads may survive low- to moderate-severity fires when they are covered
by litter or sheltered within a clump of stems. High-severity fire usually kills
the entire plant [10].

More info for the term: root crown

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [73]:

Surface rhizome/chamaephytic root crown in organic mantle or on soil surface

Caudex/herbaceous root crown, growing points in soil

Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

Initial off-site colonizer (off-site, initial community)

Secondary colonizer (on-site or off-site seed sources)

More info for the terms: cacti, caudex, layering, litter, low-severity fire

Fire adaptations:
Fire information specific to this species is lacking. Opuntia spp. are adapted to
survive low-severity fire by sprouting from the caudex and by layering from
pads that were buried or protected in the litter layer [19,74]. Prickly-pear
cacti colonize burned areas when
off-site seed is transported on-site by animals [77].

FIRE REGIMES:
Eastern pricklypear grows in plant communities with a wide range of fire
frequencies from less than 10 years for many grassland and prairie communities
to greater than 1,000 years for some of the eastern mixed-hardwood communities.
As of this writing (2005), fires ecology studies are lacking for eastern
eastern pricklypear. The following table provides fire return intervals for plant
communities and ecosystems where eastern pricklypear occurs. For further
information, see the FEIS review of the dominant species listed below.

Community or Ecosystem	Dominant Species	Fire Return Interval Range (years)
maple-beech-birch	Acer-Fagus-Betula spp.	>1,000
sugar maple	Acer saccharum	>1,000
sugar maple-basswood	Acer saccharum-Tilia americana	>1,000 [82]
bluestem prairie	Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii-Schizachyrium scoparium	<10 [51,62]
Nebraska sandhills prairie	Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus-Schizachyrium scoparium	<10
bluestem-Sacahuista prairie	Andropogon littoralis-Spartina spartinae	<10 [62]
basin big sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata var. tridentata	12-43 [68]
mountain big sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata var. vaseyana	15-40 [5,20,57]
Wyoming big sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata var. wyomingensis	10-70 (µ=40) [81,88]
saltbush-greasewood	Atriplex confertifolia-Sarcobatus vermiculatus	<35 to <100 [62]
plains grasslands	Bouteloua spp.	<35 [62,86]
blue grama-needle-and-thread grass-western wheatgrass	Bouteloua gracilis-Hesperostipa comata-Pascopyrum smithii	<35 [62,67,86]
blue grama-buffalo grass	Bouteloua gracilis-Buchloe dactyloides	<35 [62,86]
grama-galleta steppe	Bouteloua gracilis-Pleuraphis jamesii	<35 to <100
blue grama-tobosa prairie	Bouteloua gracilis-Pleuraphis mutica	<35 to <100
blackbrush	Coleogyne ramosissima	<35 to <100
Arizona cypress	Cupressus arizonica	<35 to 200 [62]
beech-sugar maple	Fagus spp.-Acer saccharum	>1,000 [82]
juniper-oak savanna	Juniperus ashei-Quercus virginiana	<35
Rocky Mountain juniper	Juniperus scopulorum	<35 [62]
cedar glades	Juniperus virginiana	3-22 [42,62]
creosotebush	Larrea tridentata	<35 to <100
Ceniza shrub	Larrea tridentata-Leucophyllum frutescens-Prosopis glandulosa	<35 [62]
wheatgrass plains grasslands	Pascopyrum smithii	<5-47+ [62,63,86]
pinyon-juniper	Pinus-Juniperus spp.	<35 [62]
jack pine	Pinus banksiana	<35 to 200 [30]
shortleaf pine	Pinus echinata	2-15
shortleaf pine-oak	Pinus echinata-Quercus spp.	<10
slash pine	Pinus elliottii	3-8
slash pine-hardwood	Pinus elliottii-variable	<35
sand pine	Pinus elliottii var. elliottii	25-45 [82]
South Florida slash pine	Pinus elliottii var. densa	1-15 [59,72,82]
Jeffrey pine	Pinus jeffreyi	5-30
western white pine*	Pinus monticola	50-200 [4]
longleaf-slash pine	Pinus palustris-P. elliottii	1-4 [59,82]
longleaf pine-scrub oak	Pinus palustris-Quercus spp.	6-10 [82]
pitch pine	Pinus rigida	6-25 [18,45]
pocosin	Pinus serotina	3-8
loblolly pine	Pinus taeda	3-8
loblolly-shortleaf pine	Pinus taeda-P. echinata	10 to <35
Virginia pine	Pinus virginiana	10 to <35
Virginia pine-oak	Pinus virginiana-Quercus spp.	10 to <35 [82]
galleta-threeawn shrubsteppe	Pleuraphis jamesii-Aristida purpurea	<35 to <100 [62]
mesquite	Prosopis glandulosa	<35 to <100 [56,62]
mesquite-buffalo grass	Prosopis glandulosa-Buchloe dactyloides	<35
Texas savanna	Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa	<10 [62]
oak-hickory	Quercus-Carya spp.	<35 [82]
oak-juniper woodland (Southwest)	Quercus-Juniperus spp.	<35 to <200 [62]
northeastern oak-pine	Quercus-Pinus spp.	10 to <35
southeastern oak-pine	Quercus-Pinus spp.	<10 [82]
coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia	2-75 [41]
white oak-black oak-northern red oak	Quercus alba-Q. velutina-Q. rubra	<35
bur oak	Quercus macrocarpa	<10 [82]
oak savanna	Quercus macrocarpa/Andropogon gerardii-Schizachyrium scoparium	2-14 [62,82]
shinnery	Quercus mohriana	<35 [62]
post oak-blackjack oak	Quercus stellata-Q. marilandica	<10
black oak	Quercus velutina	<35
live oak	Quercus virginiana	10 to<100 [82]
interior live oak	Quercus wislizenii	<35 [4]
cabbage palmetto-slash pine	Sabal palmetto-Pinus elliottii	<10 [59,82]
blackland prairie	Schizachyrium scoparium-Nassella leucotricha	<10
Fayette prairie	Schizachyrium scoparium-Buchloe dactyloides	<10 [82]
little bluestem-grama prairie	Schizachyrium scoparium-Bouteloua spp.	<35 [62]

*fire return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the species review

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Specimens with Barcodes: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread throughout the United States.

Comments: Most cacti subject to horticultural collecting.

More info for the terms: cactus, forbs

Opuntia spp. may increase in abundance during droughty periods because of a
reduction in other plant species that are not as drought tolerant. Also,
dry conditions are not as favorable for some of the insects that
can be the most damaging to eastern pricklypear. As moisture levels increase in
years following drought, insect damage to eastern pricklypear can be high, and
native grasses and forbs begin to reestablish on the site near clumps of
eastern pricklypear where the clumps create a favorable microsite for seed germination
[83].

There is some indication that Opuntia spp. may increase in response to
heavy grazing. However, researchers are not sure if eastern pricklypear
populations respond to a reduction of the preferred forage species, or if the
grazing animals simply provide for improved spread and establishment of the
cactus by transporting the pads on their bodies [12].
Opuntia spp. can be problematic in pastures grazed by domestic sheep and goats.
The spines can cause bacterial infection in the mouth and
intestinal tract, and the seeds can cause rumen impaction [80].
Eastern pricklypear is susceptible to damage by the cactus bug, a cochineal
scale, and several species of cactus borers [25].

Opuntia humifusa:

These species are introduced in Switzerland.

More info for the term: fresh

Humans eat the stems, fruits, and seeds of eastern pricklypear. The stems
are usually singed to remove the spines and are then roasted and peeled or deep-fried.
Pads can be dried for later use. Fruits are eaten
fresh or dried and can be used for jelly or syrup. Seeds can be roasted and
ground into flour [32]. Native Americans used the mucilaginous
stem sap as a wound dressing [37].

More info for the terms: fresh, reclamation, restoration

Eastern prickly pear has been used in restoration projects, although the
literature does not indicate extensive use for this purpose.
Seedlings were successfully established in a reclamation project
on a sand and gravel borrow-pit in Ohio [24].

Opuntia seeds germinate most readily when they are fresh. Dried seeds require
scarification to induce germination [3]. Eastern
eastern pricklypear is easily established from stem cuttings buried to
approximately three-fifths of their length [75], and can be
artificially propagated using tissue culture [85].

More info for the terms: cacti, fresh

Roots, stems, fruits, and seeds of eastern prickly pear may be eaten by a
variety of birds and animals [23,54]. Eastern prickly pear is one of the most
important foods of the prairie pocket mouse [15]. Gopher tortoises will feed on
the stems, fruits and seeds, but
eastern pricklypear does not constitute a large percentage of their diet [14].
White-tailed deer in North Carolina feed on eastern
eastern pricklypear fruits in the fall and winter [43]. The ornate box turtle,
endangered in Wisconsin, feeds on the stems and fruits [23].

The pads of Opuntia spp. can be used as emergency livestock forage after
the spines have been singed off [47].
Palatability/nutritional value:
Eastern pricklypear is low in nutritional value for livestock [47].
The nutritional value of fresh, immature eastern pricklypear stems in the
United States is as follows [60]:

Percent composition		Percent digestible protein
ash	2.6	cattle	0.5
crude fiber	1.2	horses	0.4
protein	0.9	domestic sheep	0.5
		domestic rabbits	0.5

Cover value: Snakes and lizards
hide under the pads to avoid the sun. Birds, including northern bobwhites, nest
in eastern pricklypear cacti, using the protection offered by the
spines [23,46].

The preference is full sun and dry conditions. This plant will tolerate average amounts of moisture and a little shade. Poor soil that is rocky or sandy is preferred, although loamy soil is also tolerated if it is reasonably well-drained. Older stems on the ground have a tendency to become brown and woody with age, which is natural. It is faster and easier to start new plants using pads, rather than seeds; they form new roots readily. This is the easiest cactus to grow in Illinois because of its greater tolerance of moisture and humidity.