Opuntia monacantha
Common name
Drooping prickly pear
Family
Cactaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
OPUMON
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Sandy beaches and coastal places.
Detailed description
Large cactus to about 4 m high, often with thick cylindric trunk, and drooping habit on larger plants. Each stem segment grows to about 30 cm long, is flattened, egg-shaped (can be elongated), and attached at the pointy end. One or two spines emerging from holes in the segments. Yellow flowers up to 9 cm diameter with red tinges are produced on the margins of the stem segments. Fruit up to 7.5 x 3.5 cm, fleshy and reddish purple.
Similar taxa
At least 2 other large Opuntia appear to be naturalised in New Zealand. O. monocantha can be distinguished from O. ficus-indica as it never has more than 2 spines per cluster, and stems are green. O. ficus indica has 1-6 spines per cluster, and is blue-green. O. robusta is also sparingly naturalised, this species has massive circular segments up to 40 cm diameter.
Flowering
February, March, April, May
Flower colours
Yellow
Year naturalised
1855
Origin
S. Brazil, Argentina
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
Reproduction
Vegetative spread and seed
Seed
many seed produced.
Dispersal
People, birds, soil movement.
Tolerances
Very tolerant of salty coastal sites.