w Invasive cacti a prickly problem Austrocylindropuntia & Cylindropuntia Invasive cacti are a serious threat to biodiversity and agricultural systems within Australian rangeland regions. The key features listed may assist you to identify these prickly invaders.
Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica Austrocylindropuntia subulata Cylindropuntia fulgida var. mamillata Cane cactus Eve’s-pin cactus Coral cactus, boxing glove cactus k c Erect, branching shrub Branching shrub to 3m tall. Erect shrub up to 0.4-0.8m
Chinno 0.3-1.5m tall. Often forms Forms patches to 8m wide. tall. Deciduous leaves. Rarely b
Bo patches several metres wide. Leaves can persist. flowers/fruits. Green-grey green. Dark bluish-green, shiny. Mid green. Slender, to Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Often distorted, with a k k c Rounded, 15-50cm long, 50cm long, 4-5cm diameter. c Stem Segments Stem Segments corrugated (tuberculate) Stem Segments Stem Segments 3-4cm diameter. Deciduous Leaves to 12cm long. Flowers Flowers Stem Segments Stem Segments surface, 10-22cm long, Chinno StemFlowers Segments StemFlowers Segments Flowers Flowers Chinno b leaves to 1cm long. b 2-4.5cm diameter. Often Bo Pink.Flowers Flowers Bo Stem Segments Stem Segments StemFlowers Segments Stem SegmentsFlowers numerous, easily detached Flowers Flowers StemFruits Segments StemFruits Segments Red,FlowersFruits cup shaped. FlowersFruits Fruits Fruits small segments. Oblong,Fruits egg or club shapedFruits Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Stem Segments Stem Segments Fruits Fruits DeepSpines red. Spines EggFruits to urn shaped, to Fruits to 10cm long. Green. StemFlowers Segments Stem SegmentsFlowers FruitsSpines FruitsSpines Spines Spines 4.5cm long. Deep (CanFruits produce chains).Fruits Flowers Flowers Spines Spines InverseFruits cone or oval Fruits Spines Spines Flowers Flowers green-yellowSpines green. Spines shaped.Fruits Grey-green. Fruits
Shauna Potter Spines Spines 1-4Spines spines, up to 7cmSpines long. (CanFruits produce chains).Fruits Forms long chains. Spines Spines (Lack papery sheath). UsuallyFruits sterile. Fruits Spines Spines
2-6Spines spines, approxSpines 1cm 4-15Spines spines, 7-20cmSpines long k long. (Lack papery sheath). c (often shorter). Cream to brown (colour variable). Chinno b (White to tan sheath). Bo Shauna Potter
Cylindropuntia imbricata Cylindropuntia leptocaulis Cylindropuntia kleiniae Devil’s rope/rope pear Pencil cactus
Branched shrub or small tree Straggly shrub to 0.5-2.5m Spreading shrub 0.4-1.8m tall. 1-3m tall. Often with short tall. Large plants form trunk. Deciduous leaves. trunks. Deciduous leaves. Deciduous leaves. Green-grey green. Very Dull grey-green. 15-40cm Stem Segments Stem Segments LightStem Segmentsgrey-green. 6-26cmStem Segments slender,Stem Segments 2-8cm long, Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments k long, 3.5-5cm diameter. c long, 0.6-1.2cm diameter. 0.3-0.5cm diameter. Flowers Flowers Large, widely spaced Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers
Chinno Flowers Flowers
b tubercles give a woven, Pink-red.Flowers Flowers PaleFlowers to greenish yellow.Flowers Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Bo Shauna Potter Shauna Potter rope like appearance. Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits EggFruits or cylinder shaped.Fruits Fleshy,Fruits egg shaped. Fruits Fruits Fruits Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits Fruits Fruits DarkFlowers pink, magenta. Flowers Stem Segments Stem Segments Ripens Fruits to orange. Fruits Yellow to red when ripe. Spines Spines Flashy,Fruits egg shaped, Fruits Spines Spines Spineless.FruitsSpines Often sterile.Fruits Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Flowers Flowers 1-4Spines spines, 2-4.5cmSpines long. to Fruits4cm long. Greenish-Fruits White to brown. (Tan 0-4Spines spines, 0.5-1.5cmSpines long. yellowSpines when ripe. Spines Fruits Fruits (CanSpines form chains). Spines sheath firmly attached). Cream to pale yellow.
2-12Spines spines, 0.8-3cmSpines long. Trunks often covered in k k c spines. Off white-cream. c Chinno (Off white-cream sheath Chinno b b Bo Bo attached). PotterShauna
Cylindropuntia prolifera Cylindropuntia spinosior Cylindropuntia rosea Jumping cholla Snake cactus (White-spined) Hudson pear
Low shrub 0.4-1m tall. Erect shrub to 1m tall. Often Low, spreading shrub, 0.5-1m Deciduous leaves. forming patches several metres tall. Up to 3m wide. Old plants
Shauna PotterShauna Greenish grey. 4-15cm wide. Similar to C. prolifera, can develop trunks, but not Stem Segments Stem Segments but different spine and fruit commonly seen. Deciduous long, 4-5cm diameter. colour. Deciduous leaves. leaves. EasilyStem Segments detached. Stem Segments ProminentStemFlowers Segments tubercles. StemFlowers Segments Mid grey-green. 10-24cm Grey-pale green. 4.5-26cm Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments long, 1.5-3cm diameter. long, 1.5-3.5cm diameter. Flowers Flowers
Fruits Fruits Shauna Potter Stem Segments Stem Segments Shauna Potter Stem Segments Stem Segments RoseStemFlowers Segments to magenta. Stem SegmentsFlowers Firmly attached. Easily detached. Prominent FlowersStem Segments FlowersStem Segments FlowersStem Segments FlowersStem Segments Prominent tubercles. tubercles. TopFruits shaped, 2-5cm long.Fruits Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers FruitsSpines FruitsSpines Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Rose-purple. Pink-red.Flowers Flowers Green. Can form chains. FruitsFlowers FruitsFlowers Fruits Fruits
UsuallyFruitsSpines sterile. Fruits Spines OblongFlowersFruits to egg shaped,Flowers Fruits to Spines Spines Fleshy,FlowersFruits cylindrical,Flowers to 4cmFruits long.SpinesFruits Yellow, sometimesSpinesFruits 3cm SpinesFruits long. Green-yellowSpinesFruits 7-11Spines spines, 1-2cmSpines long. Fruits Fruits Fruits Fruits green. green.Spines Sterile hybrid. Spines Light to dark brown, Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines interlacing. (White to tan k 7-14 spines, 1-4cm long. 6-24Spines spines, 0.8-1.5cmSpines c k k c sheath firmly attached). c White to light brown. long, interlacing. White to Chinno b grey. (White sheath firmly (White sheath loosely Chinno Chinno Bo b b attached). Bo attached). Bo
Cylindropuntia tunicata Key to symbols Glossary (Brown-spined) Hudson pear
Low, densely branched shrub Stem Segments Stem Segments Areole – small pits or depressions on the surface of segments. This poster is based on a Stem Segments Stem Segments 0.3 to 0.6m tall. Deciduous StemStem Segments segments Stem Segments Glochids – small, detachable barbed bristles. previous version by leaves. Flowers Flowers the South Australian FlowersFlowersFlowers Flowers Flowers Tubercle – a small raised area or nodule on a plant surface. Pale grey-green. 10-20cm Opuntia Taskforce. Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem segment – distinct, individual part of the stem. Can be cylindrical (e.g. in long, 1.5-3cm diameter. FruitsFruitsFruits Fruits Fruits Fruits Fruits Austrocylindropuntia & Cylindropuntia), or flattened (e.g. in Opuntia, commonly EasilyStem Segments detached. ProminentStem Segments Flowers Flowers Stem Segments Stem Segments SpinesSpines Spines referred to as pads). tubercles. Spines Spines Shauna PotterShauna Spines Spines Sheath – papery outer covering of the spine. Only present in Cylindropuntia species. Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits Yellowish-brown.StemFlowers Segments Stem SegmentsFlowers ClubFruits to top shaped. Fruits Flowers Flowers FruitsSpines FruitsSpines Greenish-yellowish to red.
Spineless.FruitsSpines Usually Fruitssterile.Spines Spines Spines
4-7Spines spines, 3-7cm long.Spines Red-brown to pale brown. k
c (Brownish sheath loosely attached). Chinno b Bo