| Opuntia stricta | |
|---|---|
| Opuntia stricta in fruit in South Australia. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Genus: | Opuntia |
| Species: | O. stricta |
| Binomial name | |
| Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw.[1] |
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| Varieties | |
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O. s. var. dillenii (Ker Gawl.) L.D.Benson |
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| Synonyms | |
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See text. |
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Opuntia stricta is a species of cactus from southern North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.[1] Common names include Erect Prickly Pear and Nopal Estricto (Spanish).[2]
It is an erect or sprawling shrub up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in height, producing lemon yellow flowers in the spring and summer, followed by purplish-red fruits.
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Opuntia stricta occurs naturally in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina in the United States as well as the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, eastern Mexico, Central America, northern Venezuela, and Ecuador.
It has been introduced to many parts of the world, including Africa, Europe (mostly in Sicily), and southern Asia. O. stricta is considered an invasive species in South Africa and Australia where it has been the subject of one of the first really effective biological control exercises using the moth Cactoblastis cactorum.[1]