Biology is Important
Reproduction, DNA biology, and ecology are powerful drivers of Opuntia biology. Knowledge of these topics will help us understand opuntias. The genetics, biology, and speciation of Opuntia are poorly understood. In fact, opuntias remain a poorly studied group overall except for O. ficus-indica. This latter species is much studied. However, most of the information about O. ficus-indica relates to crop production, and it is difficult to apply crop production principles to derive basic principles.
Details
There are relevant publications about Opuntia reproduction and ecology. Our goal with this page is to provide access to some of the literature that does exist. This collection illuminates some areas of Opuntia biology, but also raises other questions. For instance, why is polyploidy common in the genus? What factors control hybridization? How do species remain stable in the face of sympatry?
We also provide a number of articles on general principles in plant biology as they relate to various topics. For instance, an article that generally discusses plant speciation can provide insight to processes that may occur in opuntias
Opuntias are an amazing group of plants that have successfully adapted to hostile environments. They share many features with other cacti, but they have unique anatomies and some grow where other cacti do not (e.g., the eastern United States). We hope these articles help you appreciate them even more.
The Publications
A cyclical relationship between Larrea tridentata and Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
A diffusion model for dispersal of Opuntia imbricata
A flora of southern Arizona–Cactaceae
A genomic view of introgression and hybrid speciation
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal status of Opuntia humifusa
A micromethod for recovery of DNA from Opuntia ficus-indica
Biology, chemical composition, and cultivation of Opuntia
Breaking seed dormancy in Opuntia rastrera
Cactus seed germination – a review
‘Cow Tongue’ Opuntia, Shaw et al., 2018
Cytogeography of the humifusa clade of Opuntia
Endozoochorous dispersal of Opuntia seeds
Establishment of a micromethod for recovery of DNA from Opuntia ficus-indica for RAPDs
Evidence for hybridization and introgression within a species-rich community oaks
Effect of environmental heterogeneity on Opuntia germination
Effect of fungi on the germination of Opuntia
Flower visiting insects in Opuntia
Genetics of Opuntia production in Mexico
Genome characterization of Opuntia ficus-indica
Germination of hard seed-coated Opuntia tomentosa
Germination responses of Opuntia spp. to temperature
Genome characterization of Opuntia ficus-indica
Heterochrony and its role in sex determination of cryptically dioecious Consolea flowers
Histopathology of goats eating Opuntia
Hybridization, introgression, and the nature of species boundaries
The use of multivariate analysis of karyotypes to determine relationships between species of Opuntia
Insect pollination of prickly pears (Opuntia–Cactaceae)
Low levels of genetic differentiation between Opuntia echios varieties
Micro-method for genome characterization of Opuntia
Mixed reproduction systems in Opuntia monacantha
Molecular based assessment of genetic diversity of xoconostle
Molecular based assessment of genetic diversity within Barbary fig
Molecular characteristics of prickly pear cactus in Mexico
Molecular studies of forage prickly pear cactus from Brazil
Morphological and structural study of Opuntia seeds
Mountain scrublands, economy, social systems, and Opuntia in Peru
Multiple explanations for the elevated diversification of cacti in the New World Succulent Biome
Mycoflora in exhumed seeds of Opuntia tomentosa and its possible role in seed germination
Mycorrhizal associations in Opuntia humifusa in in Illinois
Nectaries on Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Nematodes as a possible cause of damage to Opuntia ficus-indica
Nutitive value of Opuntia and Nopalea
Opuntia cacanapa, Shaw et al, 2018
Opuntia chemistry and bioactivity
Opuntia cymochila–a species lost in the shuffle
Opuntia gilvescens, Ferguson et al, 2018
Opuntia in Mexico–identifying priority areas for conserving biodiversity in a multi-use landscape
Opuntia plant compounds, biological activities and prospect
Opuntia macrocentra, Root Gorelick
Opuntia macrocentra, Albert Dean Stock
Opuntia polyacantha creates refuges for other plants
Prickly coexistence or blunt competition–Opuntia refugia in a rodent community
Phylogenetic relationships and evolution of growth form in Cactaceae
Phylogenetic relationships and morphological evolution in Opuntia s.str.
Phylogenetic Relationships in Opuntia from Southern South America
Phylogeny of Opuntia–clade delineation, geographic origins, and reticulate evolution
Physio-ecological study of the jumping cholla, C. fulgida
Physiology of Opuntia and nurse plants
Phytoplasma associated with abnormal proliferation of Opuntia cladodes
Pigment evolution in the Caryophyllales–a systematic overview
Plains prickly pear response to fire
Plant biological warfare–thorns inject pathogenic bacteria into herbivores
Plant sex determination and sex chromosomes
Plant speciation through chromosome instability and ploidy change–evolutionary relevance
miRNA expression during prickly pear cactus development
Pollen grain characters of certain Cactaceae
Pollen morphology and reproductive performances in Opuntia ficus-indica
Polymorphisms in microsatellite markers in Opuntia of the Gallapagos Islands
Reproductive biology of Consolea spinosissima
Role of micromorphological leaf traits and molecular data in Oak studies
Serendipitous backyard hybridization and the origin of crops
Pollen morphology and reproductive performances in Opuntia ficus-indica
Pollination biology of Opuntia imbricata
Pollination of Opuntia lindhemeri and related species
Pollination of the southwestern Opuntias
Polinator generalists of Opuntia sulphurea
Population dynamics of Opuntia macrorhiza
Reproductive Isolation in fragmented wild populations of Opuntia streptacantha
Reproductive biology of Opuntia
Reproductive Ecology of Opuntia macrocentra
Seed germination of Opuntia species from an aridity gradient in Central Mexico
Seed predation and dispersal in a dominant desert plant Opuntia, ants, birds, and mammals
Seed predation of two alien Opuntia species invading Mediterranean communities
Seed banks of Opuntia rastrera
Vertebrate frugivory and seed dispersal in Opuntia
Seed dormancy in Opuntia rastrera
Seed germination in Opuntia streptacantha
Scanning electron microscopy of Opuntia pollen
Stamen movements in flowers of Opuntia favor certain insects
Stimulation and promotion of germination of Opuntia ficus-indica
Storm-driven ocean dispersal of Opuntia
The effect of different amounts of cladode removal on reflowering of cactus pear
Stamen movements in flowers of opuntia
Scanning electron microscopy of Opuntia pollen
Sprouting flower buds of Opuntia
Spreading of Opuntia in overgrazed pastures in Kansas
Succulents on a Plate, Shaw et al, 2019
The Importance of Opuntia in Mexico and Cactoblastis invasion
The pollination spectrum of the southwestern cactus flora
The Role of Hybridization in plant speciation
The origins of an important cactus crop, Opuntia ficus-indica
The use of multivariate analysis for karyotypes opuntia
Tucson Area Opuntia, Ferguson and Shaw, 2019