Coastal Pricklypear

Opuntia littoralis

The Coastal Pricklypear is a fun cactus that grows near the beach! It has bright yellow flowers and tasty fruits called prickly pears that you can eat. Just be careful of its sharp spines!

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The Coastal Pricklypear is a sprawling cactus with flattened, fleshy green pads covered in clusters of sharp spines and fine, barbed glochids. Its vibrant yellow to reddish-orange flowers bloom atop these pads, followed by reddish-purple, pear-shaped fruits.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungCaryophyllalesFamilieCactaceaeGattungOpuntia

Coastal Pricklypear

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

2/5 · Gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Coastal Pricklypear's strong roots help prevent sandy coastal dunes from washing away.

Its tiny barbed hairs (glochids) are often more irritating than the large spines!

Some desert tortoises love to munch on its pads, spines and all!

The yummy fruits of this cactus are sometimes called "cactus figs" or "tunas."

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Coastal Pricklypear can store vast amounts of water in its thick, paddle-shaped pads, allowing it to survive long droughts.

Coastal Pricklypear has sharp spines and tiny barbed glochids that deter hungry animals from eating its juicy pads.

Coastal Pricklypear can sprout new plants from fallen pads, allowing it to quickly spread and colonize sandy areas.

Maße und Details

Höhe: 30-150 cm
Ausbreitung: 60-300 cm
Blütengröße: 5-8 cm
Blütezeit: Spring-summer
Essbar: Ja
Giftigkeit: Keine
Lebenszyklus: Mehrjährig
Bestäubungsmethode: Insekten

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

pollinates

Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar and pollen from its flowers

eaten by

Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizii

eats the pads and fruits despite the spines

eaten by

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

browses on its pads, especially during dry seasons

eats

Black-headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus

eats its fruits and helps spread its seeds

Merkmale

Blühend

Blütenpflanzen sind alle Pflanzen, die als Teil ihres Fortpflanzungszyklus Blüten bilden.

Dorniger Stängel

Bezieht sich auf Pflanzen, deren Stängel zur Verteidigung mit scharfen, spitzen Auswüchsen bedeckt sind.

Fruchttragend

Fruchttragende Pflanzen produzieren Früchte, also die reifen Fruchtknoten von Blütenpflanzen, die Samen enthalten.

Sukkulente

Sukkulente Pflanzen haben verdickte, fleischige Teile, meist Blätter oder Stängel, die an die Speicherung von Wasser in trockenen Klimazonen angepasst sind.