Opuntiads of the USA
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Forget the intoduction; jump to the list of cactus photos.
This Web site is for people interested in Opuntia and their relatives, the opuntiads. They are fascinating plants naturally found in many parts of the continental USA. They are scattered irregularly and far apart in the Northeast and upper Great Plains, but sometimes they are so numerous that they create cactus forests in Texas and more westerly states. This Web site is designed to introduce some of the species that are native to continental United States, but a few naturalized Opuntia, opuntiads, other cacti, and other xeric plants will also be described.
Opuntia species occur from Canada to southern Argentina and Chile, and they seem to be one of the most successful cactus groups in terms of biomass, habitats conquered, and geographic distribution. Their flowers are often large and colorful, and their fruits and cladodes are consumed by animals and people in many countries.
Opuntia are characterized by their unusual stems; the platyopuntias are generally called “beaver tail” types of opuntiads; they have flattened stems called cladodes, which are protected by spines and glochids. The cladodes (beaver tail pads, or pads) function as photosynthetic organs; they are not leaves. Like most stems, cladodes have shoots and leaves; they can bear branches and flowers. Opuntia leaves are small and short-lived, typically falling off when the shoot is young; such leaves may be just an eighth of an inch long and not noticed by the casual observer because their time on the plant is short. Other species of Opuntia (and their relatives) may have leaves 2 or 3 inches long that can last many months on the plant. (continued).
| Importing Seeds into the USA, New Regulations May 2006 |
O. valida (below), from general area of Carlsbad, New Mexico, copyright Dave Ferguson, 2006
(Click photo for enlarged view)
Contact the Editor-in-Chief: jshaw@opuntiads.com
All materials copyrighted, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, Joe J. Shaw, except where othersise noted.
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