Opuntia inaperta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Opuntia inaperta | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Genus: | Opuntia |
| Species: | O. inaperta |
| Binomial name | |
| Opuntia inaperta (Schott ex Griffiths) D.R.Hunt[1] | |
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Opuntia inaperta is a species of prickly pear in the cactus family, the Cactaceae.
The species grows up to 7 meters tall (23 feet). Its branches often extend widely through the scrub in which normally it occurs. Individual stem segments, the pads, are up to 17 cm (6.7 in) long, flattened and slenderly oblong. Scattered across the pads' flat surfaces are spine-bearing locations known as areoles from which 3 or more spines arise in each areole. The spines reach about 4cm long (~1½ inches). Flowers are yellow to rose colored and about 4cm long. Mature fruits are red and reach 1.5cm long (~0.6 inch).[2]
Habitat
Opuntia inaperta occurs in the Mexican Dry Broadleaf Forest Biome.[3] This biome is distinguished by warm to hot weather all year, and a long dry season. More specifically, it inhabits the ecoregion known as the Yucatán dry forest. The most species-rich dry forests in the world occur in southern Mexico and in the Bolivian lowlands.[4]