Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb.
Naturalised

Morphological description

Much-branched spreading shrubs forming thickets, developing a trunk with age. Joints arcuate, cylindrical, tuberculate, c. 3 cm in diam., glaucous-green. Leaves linear to terete, 3-6 (-12) cm long, arcuate, fleshy, persistent. Areoles with a protruding white woolly pubescence; with 1 or 2 acicular, straight, strong yellow-brown spines up to 5 cm long. Flowers with the hypanthium forming a reduced apical spineless joint which in turn may proliferate; petaloid segments 2-3 cm long, orange or greenish yellow. Fruit not seen in South African material. ('Green, pear-shaped, 9 cm long, usually sterile; seeds large, irregular, 10 mm broad' fide Britton & Rose). From: Obermeyer, AA. 1976. Cactaceae. Fl. S. Africa 22: 144-156. BRI, Dept. Agric. & Tech. Services, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Opuntia exaltata A.Berger

Much-branched shrub, 2-4 m high. Branches cylindrical, up to 0.5 m long, green or somewhat glaucous; tubercles in a few spirals, sharply defined, vertically rhomboid to decurrent-obovate; spines (1)2-4, strong, straight, up to 80(-130) mm long. Leaves subulate, persistent, with areoles at upper extremities of tubercles. Perianth not widely flaring, 1/3 of flower length; tepals scarlet, orange or yellowish. Fruit elongate, obovoid-oblong to clavate or ± spherical, ± spiny, sometimes successively proliferous (mostly sterile in SA). Seeds (1-)19, globose or isodiametric, 8-10 mm in diam. From: Winter, PJD; Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Cactaceae. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 720-728. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Shrub, up to 5 m high; cladodes cylindrical; tuberculate; glaucous green; areoles white woolly. Spines 1-4, strong, straight, up to 80 mm long, greyish white, white or yellowish brown when young. Leaves linear, 30-60 mm long, curved, fleshy, persistent. Flowers: 60-70 mm long; floral tube relatively long, tuberculate, with porrect, subulate bract scales resembling small leaves. perianth 1/3 of flower length; perianth segments 20-30 mm long, scarlet, orange or yellowish. Fruit elongate, obovoid-oblong to clavate or ± spherical, > 50 mm long, ± spiny. From: Winter, PJD; Retief, E; Meyer, NL. 2017. Cactaceae. In: E Retief & NL Meyer (eds), Plants of the Free State: Inventory and identification guide. Strelitzia 38: 438-443. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Habitat

Origin S America. From: Winter, PJD; Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Cactaceae. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 720-728. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Dry Grassland. Grassland. From: Winter, PJD; Retief, E; Meyer, NL. 2017. Cactaceae. In: E Retief & NL Meyer (eds), Plants of the Free State: Inventory and identification guide. Strelitzia 38: 438-443. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Distribution

Recorded as a pest from the Orange Free State, Cape and Natal. Found both wild and cultivated in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and probably northern Chile, according to Britton & Rose. From: Obermeyer, AA. 1976. Cactaceae. Fl. S. Africa 22: 144-156. BRI, Dept. Agric. & Tech. Services, Pretoria. [CC BY] As: Opuntia exaltata A.Berger

Native to South America. From: Winter, PJD; Retief, E; Meyer, NL. 2017. Cactaceae. In: E Retief & NL Meyer (eds), Plants of the Free State: Inventory and identification guide. Strelitzia 38: 438-443. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

Residence status

Occurrence in the Flora of Southern Africa (FSA) countries and South African provinces. Residence status indicates if a taxon is indigenous, endemic, naturalised or invasive in a specific region. This data is based on specimen records and literature

FSA

SA

BOT

NAM

ESW

LES

WC

EC

NC

FS

GA

KZN

LP

MP

NW

Absent

Indigenous

Endemic

Naturalised

Invasive

Names and Sources

Accepted name
Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb.
Synonym(s)

Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb. subsp. exaltata (A.Berger) D.R.Hunt


Opuntia exaltata A.Berger


Opuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Engelm.


Classification

KINGDOM Plantae

SUBKINGDOM Phanerogamae

SUBFAMILY Opuntioideae

SPECIES subulata

14 results for Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb.

Specimen records

Barcode: PRE0999392-0 Collector(s) & number: Jaca, T, 1035 | 2018-11-30

South Africa, North West, Ventersdorp, dumping site, adjacent to residental area.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0262950-0 Collector(s) & number: De Villiers, J, MonsterA | 1967-5-22

South Africa, Western Cape, Cultivated in Oudtshoorn.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0262949-0 Collector(s) & number: Carstens, s.n. | 1969-9-15

South Africa, Western Cape, Cape Town. Koelenhof, on a farm.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0271115-0 Collector(s) & number: Phago, T, PPRI-0181 | 2011-11-25

South Africa, Gauteng, Limpopo. Rust de Winter, Siyabuswa offramp. 25.20447°S 28.62319°E.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Observation records

Date: 12/2/2020 8:27:00 AM

Western Cape, South Africa

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 5/2/2021 7:10:33 PM

Western Cape, South Africa

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 5/2/2021 3:28:00 PM

Western Cape, South Africa

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 7/13/2021 9:54:15 AM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 6/29/2019 12:15:00 PM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 10/24/2021 2:21:00 PM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 5/3/2021 5:57:05 PM

Western Cape, South Africa

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 10/31/2022 9:22:00 AM

Western Cape, South Africa

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 10/26/2022 12:57:22 PM

Limpopo

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 11/30/2022 11:21:53 AM

Limpopo

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Plant occurence records per dataset

Plant occurence records per year

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

2019

SERIES CHAPTER

Cactaceae Winter, PJD; Bredenkamp, CL

In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1)720-728

South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

2017

SERIES CHAPTER

Cactaceae Winter, PJD; Retief, E; Meyer, NL

In: E Retief & NL Meyer (eds), Plants of the Free State: Inventory and identification guide. Strelitzia 38: 438-443

South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

2006

BOOK

The New Cactus Lexicon Hunt, DR

1997

BOOK

List of southern African succulent plants Smith, GF

Umdaus Press, Pretoria

1976

FLORA

Cactaceae Obermeyer, AA

Flora of Southern Africa 22: 144-156

BRI, Dept. Agric. & Tech. Services, Pretoria

No results found for Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb.

No assessment available

Part(s) of plant used Use(s) Reference

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