Cactaceae
Opuntia

Opuntia tuna (L.) Mill.

First published in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 3 (1768)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico, S. Jamaica. It is a succulent shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and social uses, as animal food and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Caribbean. Elevation range: 240–240 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Norte de Santander.
Habit
Shrub.
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Colombia
[CPLC]

Distribution
Naturalised in Colombia.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular
PRICKLY PEAR
Morphology General Habit
Plant usually 1–2 m tall, branched, sprawling and bushy; joints obovate or elliptic, 10–20 cm long; leaves 4–6 mm long; areoles large, with numerous glochids and 2–6 stout, slightly flattened, yellowish spines up to 4 cm long (but often much shorter), these straight or slightly curved-spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth pale yellow, concolorous or sometimes shading to reddish at the base within, 3–5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit obovoid, purplish- red, 5–7 cm long.
Distribution
Cayman Islands. Florida, the West Indies and northern S. America.
Ecology
Chiefly coastal but also occurring inland in clearings and on dry stony plains.
Recognition
Cayman plants vary widely in length of spines, and also somewhat in the size and color of the flowers. In some West Indian islands, the fleshy joints are peeled, diced and cooked with rice as a vegetable.
[Cayman]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0