Opuntia echios

Opuntia echios
Opuntia echios var. barringtonensis
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Opuntia
Species:	O. echios
Binomial name
Opuntia echios J.T.Howell

Opuntia echios is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) and is commonly known as the Galápagos prickly pear, but there are five other species of prickly pears that also are endemic to the archipelago (O. galapageia, O. helleri, O. insularis, O. megasperma and O. saxicola).

Opuntia echios var. zacana is a small variety

There are five varieties of Opuntia echios, each with a different appearance and distribution: Opuntia echios var. echios on the islands of Santa Cruz, Baltra, Daphne Major and South Plaza, Opuntia echios var. barringtonensis on Santa Fe, Opuntia echios var. gigantea near Academy Bay on Santa Cruz, Opuntia echios var. inermis on the Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela and Opuntia echios var. zacana on North Seymour.

References

• Tye, A. 2000. Opuntia echios. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 August 2007.
• Prickly pear (Opuntia echios). ARKive