Opuntia oricola

Opuntia oricola
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Opuntia
Species:	O. oricola
Binomial name
	Opuntia oricola; Philbrick

Opuntia oricola is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common name chaparral prickly pear. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats.

Description

Opuntia oricola is a large treelike cactus often exceeding 2 meters in height. The branches are made up of rounded flat segments up to 25 centimeters long. It is covered in clusters of curved, yellowish spines usually around 2 centimeters long.

The flowers are yellow, sometimes orange-tinged. The spherical fruit is purplish red on the outside, whitish and juicy inside, and up to 6 centimeters long. It was common along the coasts and adjacent inland areas of California, but development has reduced its populations.^[2]

References

^ Pinkava, D.J.; Baker, M.; Puente, R. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Opuntia oricola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152768A121609318. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152768A121609318.en. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
^ "Opuntia oricola". Opuntia Web. 24 January 2012.

External links

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[1] Pinkava, D.J.; Baker, M.; Puente, R. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Opuntia oricola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152768A121609318. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152768A121609318.en. Retrieved 16 September 2021.

[2] "Opuntia oricola". Opuntia Web. 24 January 2012.

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