cardona-pear
Opuntia streptacantha Lem.
Opuntia streptacantha is a cactus species in the Cactaceae family, known as the cardona-pear. It is a tree-like plant, reaching up to 3.0 m in height, with a defined trunk and oval cladodes. It is native to parts of Mexico and has a global distribution. First described in 1839, it is characterized by its glabrous epidermis, yellow flowers, and distinct areolas.
Description
Opuntia streptacantha is a tree-like cactus with a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter and a grayish scaly bark with black shades. Its oval cladodes are 32–40 cm long and 23–35 cm wide, green in color, with a light wax layer. Areolas are arranged in 10–11 series, with 3 cm spacing between series and 2.1 cm between elliptical areolas. Spines are 0–8 in number, white with gray and black tones, flexible, and acicular. The plant produces yellow flowers, 5.5–6.1 cm long, with elliptical pericarps and smooth yellow edges on the perianth segments. Juvenile cladodes have prominent tubers and areolas with short brown to black trichomes. The species is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and globally.
Other common names
Gracemere-pearcardona-pearWestwood-pearwhite-spine prickly-pearwhite-spine-pear
Distribution
IT · MT · AU · Global · Guatemala · Mexico Central · Mexico Gulf · Mexico Northeast · Mexico Southwest · Queensland
Synonyms
Opuntia diplacanthaOpuntia coindettiOpuntia arceiOpuntia castillaeOpuntia cardonaOpuntia pachonaOpuntia incarnadillaOpuntia cardonaeOpuntia streptacantha subsp. aguirrianaOpuntia streptacantha var. pachona
