Difference between revisions of "Opuntia humifusa"

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==References and notes==
 
==References and notes==
 
Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
 
Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
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Ferrell, J., B. Sellers, et al. (2014). "Management of Spreading Pricklypear (Opuntia humifusa) with Fluroxypyr and Aminopyralid." Weed Technology 28(4): 734-738.
 
  
 
Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: [http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu]. Last accessed: October 2015. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Michael Blaker, M. Borgman, James R. Burkhaulter, George R. Cooley, R.J. Eaton,  Patricia Elliott, J. Kevin England, Robert K. Godfrey, Darren Jackson, Ed Keppner, Lisa Keppner, Andrew McAllister, Sidney McDaniel, K.M. Meyer, James D. Ray Jr., Erik Robinson, L. Rosen, C.E. Smith, A. Townesmith, Kenneth A. Wilson, Carroll E. Wood Jr.. States and Counties: Alabama: Dale. Florida: Alabama, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hernando, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Orange, Putnam, Seminole, Walton, Wakulla, Washington. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.
 
Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: [http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu]. Last accessed: October 2015. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Michael Blaker, M. Borgman, James R. Burkhaulter, George R. Cooley, R.J. Eaton,  Patricia Elliott, J. Kevin England, Robert K. Godfrey, Darren Jackson, Ed Keppner, Lisa Keppner, Andrew McAllister, Sidney McDaniel, K.M. Meyer, James D. Ray Jr., Erik Robinson, L. Rosen, C.E. Smith, A. Townesmith, Kenneth A. Wilson, Carroll E. Wood Jr.. States and Counties: Alabama: Dale. Florida: Alabama, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hernando, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Orange, Putnam, Seminole, Walton, Wakulla, Washington. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Revision as of 10:31, 12 April 2016

Opuntia humifusa
Opun humi.jpg
Photo by Wayne Matchett, SpaceCoastWildflowers.com
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Opuntia
Species: O. humifusa
Binomial name
Opuntia humifusa
(Raf.) Raf.
Opun humi dist.jpg
Natural range of Opuntia humifusa from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common names: devil's-tongue, eastern prickly pear

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Opuntia humifusa (Rafinesque) Rafinesque var. humifusa; O. compressa (Salisbury) J.F. Macbride var. compressa; O. compressa; O. impedita Small; O. macrarthra Gibbes; O. opuntia (Linnaeus) Karten; O. calcicola Wherry; O. rafinesquei Engelmann

Description

A description of Opuntia humifusa is provided in The Flora of North America.

Distribution

It is the only cactus to be widespread in the eastern United States [1]. It is found in southern Canada as well as the eastern United States (Goldstein and Nobel 1994).

Ecology

Habitat

Opuntia humifusa can occur in upland longleaf pines, sand dunes, Pinus clausa scrubs, open sand flats, sandhills, and pine/oak scrubs. It has been found in disturbed areas such as loblolly tree farms and roadside depressions. Associated species include Lyonia ferruginea, Lyonia lucida, Serenoa repens, Quercus geminata, Q. chapmanii, Persea humilis, Ceratiola, Osmanthus megacarpus, Rhynchospora megalocarpa, Galactia elliottii, and Smilax auriculata (FSU Herbarium).

It occurs in southern Canada, where average nighttime temperatures can reach -4 degrees Celsius. In order to prevent intracellular freeze dehydration and ice formation, individuals have an accumulation of sugars and mannitol in their cells (Goldstein and Nobel 1994).

Phenology

It has been observed flowering April through July and fruiting January, May and December (FSU Herbarium).

Root stocks and detached cladodes can propagate vegetatively for up to 12 months after detachment (Nobel and Castaneda 1998).

Seed dispersal

The fruit is eaten and dispersed by birds, rabbits, woodrats, prairie-dogs, mice, ground squirrels, and white-tailed deer. [2] According to Kay Kirkman, a plant ecologist, this species disperses by being consumed by vertebrates (being assumed). [3]

Seed bank and germination

Germination rate is low [2].

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Opuntia humifusa at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):

Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, B. pennsylvanicus, Mellisodes communis

Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Halictus poeyi, Lasioglossum nymphalis, L. puteulanum

Megachilidae: Dianthidium floridiense, Lithurgus gibbosus, Megachile brevis pseudobrevis, M. policaris

Use by animals

It is an important food for pocket gophers (Myers and Vaughan 1964). It is a host to the invasive cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) (Jezorek and Stiling 2012). The large pads provides nesting to bobwhite quail[4].

Conservation and Management

Cultivation and restoration

Native Americans used the pads to heal wounds, warts, and drank pad tea for respiratory issues [1].

Photo Gallery

References and notes

Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: October 2015. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Michael Blaker, M. Borgman, James R. Burkhaulter, George R. Cooley, R.J. Eaton, Patricia Elliott, J. Kevin England, Robert K. Godfrey, Darren Jackson, Ed Keppner, Lisa Keppner, Andrew McAllister, Sidney McDaniel, K.M. Meyer, James D. Ray Jr., Erik Robinson, L. Rosen, C.E. Smith, A. Townesmith, Kenneth A. Wilson, Carroll E. Wood Jr.. States and Counties: Alabama: Dale. Florida: Alabama, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hernando, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Orange, Putnam, Seminole, Walton, Wakulla, Washington. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Goldstein, G. and P. S. Nobel (1994). "Water Relations and Low-Temperature Acclimation for Cactus Species Varying in Freezing Tolerance." Plant Physiology 104(2): 675-681.

Jezorek, H. and P. Stiling (2012). "LACK OF ASSOCIATIONAL EFFECTS BETWEEN TWO HOSTS OF AN INVASIVE HERBIVORE: OPUNTIA SPP. AND CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE)." The Florida Entomologist 95(4): 1048-1057.

Myers, G. T. and T. A. Vaughan (1964). "Food Habits of the Plains Pocket Gopher in Eastern Colorado." Journal of Mammalogy 45(4): 588-598.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 [[1]] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Accessed: February 12, 2016
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 [[2]] Accessed: February 13, 2016
  3. ↑ Kay Kirkman, unpublished data, 2015.
  4. ↑ [[3]]Illinois Wildflowers. Accessed: February 15, 2016
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