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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

infestation growing along a fence-line (Photo: Land Protection, QDNRW)

habit (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

habit (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

spiny stem segments (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

almost cylindrical stem segment with spines (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of spines (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

stem segment attached to shoe (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

detached stem segments (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

a detached stem segment that has developed roots (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

young stem segment with tiny leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flowers (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

close-up of flowers (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

Opuntia aurantiaca

Scientific Name

Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl.

Synonyms

Opuntia x aurantiaca Lindl.
Opuntia ferox Haw (misapplied)

Family

Cactaceae

Common Names

jointed cactus, jointed prickly pear, tiger pear, tiger-pear

Origin

Native to South America (i.e. northern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay).

Naturalised Distribution

A widespread species that is found throughout the eastern parts of Australia. It is most common in the sub-coastal regions of southern and central Queensland, and in central and eastern New South Wales. A few scattered infestations are also present in northern Victoria.

Also naturalised in southern Africa and probably beyond its native range in South America.

Habitat

Mostly found in semi-arid regions and drier localities in sub-tropical and warmer temperate environments. A weed of pastures, open woodlands, fence-lines, roadsides and stream-banks.

Habit

A low-growing (i.e. prostrate or decumbent), fleshy (i.e. succulent) plant forming thickets and producing underground tubers. It usually grows less than 40 cm tall when unsupported, but can reach up to 2 m in height when growing against other plants.

Distinguishing Features

Stems and Leaves

Stems are dark green to purplish in colour, much-branched, and consist of a series of rounded, almost cylindrical (i.e. terete), segments. These stem segments (3.5-30 cm long and 1-5 cm thick) are covered in small raised bumps (i.e. areoles) that each bear 2-7 greyish or brownish coloured spines (1-5 cm long). The spines are very sharp, rigid, and minutely barbed near their tips.

The leaves are reduced to small cone-shaped (i.e. conical) structures (3-4 mm long) and are shed when the stems are still young (i.e. they are caducous).

Flowers and Fruit

The showy lemon or bright yellow flowers (25-60 mm across) are borne singly on a fleshy base. They have large numbers of 'petals' (most of these are actually petal-like structures known as petaloids) and numerous stamens. Flowering occurs mostly during late spring and summer.

The immature fruit are green in colour, but turn red to purplish as they mature. These fruit (20-35 mm long) are fleshy (i.e. succulent), spiny, and egg-shaped (i.e. ovoid) to somewhat pear-shaped (i.e. pyriform). They do not contain any viable seed.

Reproduction and Dispersal

This species reproduces by stem fragments (i.e. the stem segments easily become dislodged and produce roots) and underground tubers (these are formed when segments become buried and lose their spines).

Stem fragments are spread by becoming attached to animals, footwear and vehicles. They are also dispersed by flood waters and in dumped garden waste.

Environmental Impact

Tiger pear (Opuntia aurantiaca) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. This species was recently also listed as priority environmental weed in two Natural Resource Management regions.

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

Tiger pear (Opuntia aurantiaca) is very similar to Harrisia cactus (Harrisia martinii ). It is also relatively similar to rope pear (Opuntia imbricata), boxing glove cactus (Opuntia fulgida var. mamillata), snake cactus (Opuntia spinosior) and jumping cholla (Opuntia prolifera). These species can be distinguished by the following differences: