Opuntiads of the USA

(by Joe Shaw and Dave Ferguson)

Mission

Opuntia Species

Opuntia Country No. 1
Opuntia Country No. 2
Opuntia Country No. 3
Opuntia Country No. 4
Opuntia Country No. 5

Opuntia Country with
Daiv Freeman

Opuntia County, Big Bend

World Opuntiads

Peru Cactus Trip

Northern Patagonia Cactus Trip

Northern Patagonia Sights

Notes from the Editors

Culture Notes

Literature

Editorial Board

News

WWW Links

Agave Photos

Opuntia pusilla (Haw.) Haworth Synopsis Pl. Succ. 195. 1812

O. pusilla is generally considered to be a plant of the coastal sand dunes from North Carolina, across northern Florida, to Mississippi. Some reports place it on the northern Gulf Coast of Texas also. The small segments easily break free and attach to shoes, clothing, and animals. Often, the plants have one stout spine per areole, especially over the distal half of the cladode.

See the Flora of North America for a technical description of O. pusilla. Read an early (1812) description from the Synopsis Plantarum Succulentum.

Cultivated Opuntia pusilla	Opuntia pusilla on ocean sand dunes, photo by James Cheshire	Close-up of flower on plant at far left
Different view of plant in row above	Opunatia pusilla	Close-up of plant at immediate left
Opuntia pusilla (small plants) with O. humifusa cladode	Opuntia pusilla (small plants) with O. humifusa cladode	Opuntia pusilla (left) with O. humifusa (right)
Flower buds on cultivated Opuntia pusilla (right), with O. humifusa flower bud (left)	Opuntia pusilla	Opuntia pusilla flower, mid-May, 2008
Opuntia pusilla