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Scientific Name
Synonyms
Family
Common Names
Origin
Naturalised Distribution
Habitat
Habit
Distinguishing Features
Stems and Leaves
Flowers and Fruit
Reproduction and Dispersal
Environmental Impact
Legislation
Management
Similar Species
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Click on images to enlarge

habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

stem segments (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of stem segment from a young plant (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

young stem segments with leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of young stem segment showing hairy surface and tiny leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flower buds and flower (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of flower (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flower from side-on (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

immature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit of young plant (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

stem segment damaged by the cochineal biocontrol agent (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

stem segment damaged by cactoblastis biocontrol agent (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Opuntia tomentosa

Scientific Name

Opuntia tomentosa Salm-Dyck

Synonyms

Opuntia hernandezii DC.
Opuntia macdougaliana Rose
Opuntia sarca Griffiths ex Scheinvar

Family

Cactaceae

Common Names

prickly pear, tree pear, velvet opuntia, velvet tree pear, velvety tree pear, woollyjoint prickly pear

Origin

Native to Mexico and Guatemala.

Naturalised Distribution

A relatively widespread species that is mostly found in eastern Australia. It is most common in central and southern Queensland. Also present in northern New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia.

Habitat

This species is mostly found in sub-tropical, semi-arid and warmer temperate environments. It is a weed of roadsides, railways, pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, rangelands, disturbed sites and waste areas.

Habit

An upright (i.e. erect), fleshy (i.e. succulent), tree-like plant usually growing 2-6 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 8 m in height.

Distinguishing Features

Stems and Leaves

Its stems are dull green in colour, much-branched, and there is a single thick woody stem at the base of the plant (up to 40 cm thick). The branches consist of a series of flattened (i.e. oblong or elliptic), fleshy (i.e. succulent), stem segments. These stem segments (15-35 cm long, 6-16 cm wide and 15-20 mm thick) are velvety in nature (i.e. finely pubescent) and covered in small raised structures (i.e. areoles) that have clusters of fine yellow bristles (i.e. glochids) 1-5 mm long. The stem segments are usually spineless, but they may occasionally bear groups of one or two grey spines (3-25 mm long). These spines are more prominent on younger plants and tend to be absent from older stem segments.

The leaves are reduced to tiny cylindrical or cone-shaped (i.e. conical) structures. These leaves are also velvety hairy (i.e. finely pubescent) and are quickly shed from the developing stem segments (i.e. they are caducous).

Flowers and Fruit

The bright orange flowers (4-5.5 cm long and 4-5 cm across) usually have reddish coloured markings on the undersides of the outermost petals. They are borne singly on fleshy bases along the margins of the stem segments. Each flower has large numbers of 'petals' (most of these are actually petal-like structures known as petaloids) and numerous stamens. Flowering occurs mostly during spring and summer.

The immature fruit are green in colour, but turn dull red or purplish-red as they mature. These berries (3-5 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide) are fleshy (i.e. succulent), hairy (i.e. tomentose) and somewhat oval in shape (i.e. ellipsoid or obovoid). They have shallowly depressed tips and are covered with several tufts of small prickly bristles (i.e. glochids). The reddish coloured pulp inside the fruit contains large numbers of somewhat rounded (i.e. sub-globose) pale brown seeds (3-5 mm long).

Reproduction and Dispersal

This species reproduces by stem fragments (i.e. stem segments may become dislodged and produce roots) and also by seeds.

Stem fragments are spread by becoming attached to animals, footwear and vehicles. They are also dispersed in dumped garden waste. The fruit are eaten by various small animals (e.g. birds and foxes) and the seeds spread in their droppings.

Environmental Impact

Velvety tree pear (Opuntia tomentosa) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. It was recently also listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region.

Legislation

This species is declared under legislation in the following states and territories:

Management

For information on the management of this species see the following resources:

Similar Species

Velvety tree pear (Opuntia tomentosa) is very similar to drooping tree pear (Opuntia monacantha), spiny pest pear (Opuntia dillenii), common prickly pear (Opuntia stricta), Indian fig (Opuntia ficus-indica) and white-spined prickly pear (Opuntia streptacantha). These species can be distinguished by the following differences: