Invasive cacti a prickly problem Opuntia 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. Opuntia aurantiaca Opuntia elata Opuntia elatior Tiger pear Riverina pear SHEPHERD, R.C.H. K Low spreading shrub to C Shrubby plant with erect www.anbg.gov.au/ Shrubby, forming dense, much 0.3m tall. Branches prostrate CHINNO branches to 2m tall. branched clumps 5m tall. B to somewhat erect. BO Glossy green, sometimes Olive green. Oblong Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Dark green to dark purple. with a purple tinge shaped,Stem Segments 10-40cm long.Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Flattened, sometimes (especially around areoles Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Yellow-orange,StemFlowers Segments Stem SegmentsFlowers K rounded, 6-15cm long. and margins). Often C Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers with red stripes. EasilyStem Segments detached. Stem Segments moreStem Segments than 2cm thick, Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments StemFruits Segments StemFruits Segments FlowersFruits Flowers Fruits CHINNO Fruits Fruits B No tubercles. 5-25cm long. EggFruits shaped. Fruits BO Fruits Fruits Stem Segments Stem Segments Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits ER Reddish when ripe. YellowFlowers to orange-yellow.Flowers Orange.FlowersSpines FlowersSpines Spines Spines tt Stem Segments Stem Segments Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Flowers Flowers 2-8Spines spines, 2-4cm Spineslong. Fleshy,Fruits globular shaped,Fruits ClubFruits shaped, to 6cm long.Fruits Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits Fruits Fruits SHAUNA PO Needle like. Dark brown. to 3cm long. Red-purple. PurplishFruits red. Fruits Sterile.FruitsSpines Fruits Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines SpinesSpines absent, or 1-3Spines short UsuallySpines 2-3 spines,Spines 1-3cm spines present at some long. Brown-yellowish. ER areoles. Whitish yellow. tt EVIN THIELE EVIN SHAUNA PO K Opuntia ficus-indica* Opuntia microdasys Opuntia engelmannii Indian fig Bunny ears or Golden bristle cactus Low shrub to 1.5m tall. Large shrub/tall tree to 5m tall. Branched shrub, forming Forms dense clumps. Can be Usually with a trunk. thickets to 1m tall. confused with O. robusta, but Dull blue-green. Flattened, Green to pale green and Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments has a low, creeping habit. velvety. Round to oblong eggStem to Segments oblong shape, Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Green to blue-green. ER 20-60cm long. ER shaped, 6-15cm long. Stem Segments Stem Segments tt Flowers Flowers tt Flowers Flowers Flattened, round to egg Stem Segments Stem Segments Distinctive clusters of Stem Segments Stem Segments Flowers Flowers Stem Segments Stem Segments shaped,Stem Segments 15-20cm long. Stem Segments Yellow.Flowers Flowers yellowStem Segments glochids. Stem Segments TROY BOWMAN TROY SHAUNA PO SHAUNA PO Flowers Flowers FlowersFruits Flowers Fruits Fruits Fruits Stem Segments Stem Segments Flowers Flowers ToFruits 10cm long. Yellow, Fruits Flowers Flowers Yellow.Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits Yellow.StemFlowers Segments Stem SegmentsFlowers orange,Fruits red, purple.Fruits FlowersFruits Flowers Fruits Spines Spines Spines Spines Fruits Fruits Fleshy,Fruits globular shaped,Fruits Fleshy, to 7cm long. Purple. Spines Spines Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits Fruits Fruits Spines Spines EAN MostlySpines spineless cultivarsSpines AlmostFruits spineless. Fruits D to 3cm long. Red-purple. Spines Spines in Australia. Spines Spines JULIE Sterile.FruitsSpines Fruits Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines 1-6Spines spines, 1-4cm Spineslong. * Note O. ficus-indica is not a Yellowish. SpinesSpines usually absent,Spines Weed of National Significance rarely one. and is not a declared weed in all K K C C RI States and Territories. T PA CHINNO G B GRE BO Opuntia monacantha Opuntia robusta Opuntia stricta Drooping tree pear Wheel cactus Common prickly pear Erect shrub to 2m tall, Shrubby /tree-like to 2m tall. Sprawling/ erect shrub, up to sometimes with a short trunk. Many branches. 2m tall. Forms thickets. Plant has an obvious drooping BlueStem green.Segments Circular shape,Stem Segments Blue-green.Stem Segments Egg or oblongStem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments appearance. Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments thick profile, to 40cm wide. shaped, 10-25cm long. ER Glossy green. Oblong to ER ER tt Stem Segments Stem Segments tt Flowers Flowers tt Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Yellow.StemFlowers Segments Stem SegmentsFlowers Yellow.Flowers Flowers eggStem shaped, Segments thin profile,Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments 10-30cm long. Stem Segments Stem Segments SHAUNA PO Flowers Flowers SHAUNA PO Fleshy,Fruits globular shaped,Fruits SHAUNA PO Fruits Fruits FlowersFruits Flowers Fruits Fleshy,Fruits globular to pearFruits Stem Segments Stem Segments Fruits Fruits Fruits Fruits Flowers Flowers to 8cm long. Deep red. shaped, to 6cm long. YellowFlowers or orange-yellow.Flowers Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits NumerousFruitsSpines fertile seeds.Fruits Spines PurplishSpines red. NumerousSpines Flowers Flowers Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines PearFruits shaped, to 7cm long.Fruits fertileFruits seeds. Fruits Fruits Fruits 2-12Spines spines, up to Spines5cm Red.Fruits Spineless. Fruits Spines Spines long. White to pale SpinesSpines often absent.Spines In the Spines Spines Spines Spines 1-2Spines spines, 2-4cm Spineslong. brown or yellow. O. stricta var. dillenii form Brown to off-white. can be up to 11 spines, 1.5-4cm long. Yellow, or ER ER with brown bands. K tt tt C RI T PA G GRE SHAUNA PO SHAUNA PO Opuntia tomentosa Key to symbols Glossary Shrubby to treelike, up to Stem Segments Stem Segments Areole – small pits or depressions on the surface of segments. This poster is based on a Stem Segments Stem Segments 5m tall. Often with a trunk. StemStem Segments segments Stem Segments Glochids – small, detachable barbed bristles. previous version by Segments and fruits covered Flowers Flowers the South Australian FlowersFlowersFlowers Flowers Flowers Tubercle – a small raised area or nodule on a plant surface. in fine hairs, giving a velvety Opuntia Taskforce. ER appearance. Stem segment – distinct, individual part of the stem. Can be cylindrical (e.g. in FruitsFruits Fruits Fruits tt Fruits Fruits Fruits Austrocylindropuntia & Cylindropuntia), or flattened (e.g. in Opuntia, commonly OblongStem Segments to egg shaped,Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments Stem Segments SpinesSpines Spines referred to as pads). 15-30cm long. Spines Spines SHAUNA PO Spines Spines Stem Segments Stem Segments Sheath – papery outer covering of the spine. Only present in Cylindropuntia species. Flowers Flowers ER Flowers Flowers Orange.Flowers Flowers tt Flowers Flowers Fruits Fruits GlobularFruits to egg shaped,Fruits Fruits Fruits SHAUNA PO toFruits 5cm long. Red. Fruits Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines Spines OftenSpines spineless, butSpines can have 0-4 spines, 0.5-1.5cm long. Whitish-yellow. .