Home/Species/ Chaparral Prickly-pear

Opuntia oricola

Philbrick

Chaparral Prickly-pear

G3Vulnerable (G3?) Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156107

Element CodePDCAC0D0X0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

CITESAppendix II

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderCaryophyllales

FamilyCactaceae

GenusOpuntia

Other Common Names

chaparral pricklypear (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Review Date2002-10-11

Change Date2002-10-11

Edition Date2002-10-11

Edition AuthorsLAMBERT, A. (1988), rev. L. Morse (1998)

Range Extent250-20,000 square km (about 100-8000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

Thirty EO's in southern California; also in adjacent Mexico.

Range Extent Comments

It occurs in California along the coast and on islands from Santa Barbara County to San Diego County; inland to Fullerton and Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County. It also occurs in Mexico.

Occurrences Comments

Thirty occurrences [USA] (Benson 1982).

Threat Impact Comments

Most cacti subject to horticultural collecting.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Sandy soils of valleys, flats and low hills in coastal grassy disturbed areas.

Reproduction

Opuntias produce sexual and asexual seeds, exchanging genetic material occasionally while continuing to disperse asexually; these adaptations allow the plants to adapt to stressful environments. All Opuntias produce fleshy fruits that are dispersed by animals and many Opuntias are known to be self-dispersed, in addition (Valiente-Banuet and Godinez-Alvarez 2002).

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
California	SNR	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)Yes

Roadless Areas (1)

California (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
White Ledge	Los Padres National Forest	18,632

References (3)

Benson, L. 1982. The Cacti of the United States and Canada. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 1044 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Valiente-Banuet, A., and H. Godinez-Alvarez. 2002. Population and Community Ecology. Pages 91-108. in: P. Nobel, editor. Cacti: Biology and Uses. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.