Opuntia leucotricha

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Cactaceae
Subfamilia: Opuntioideae
Tribus: Opuntieae
Genus: Opuntia
Series: O. ser. Leucotrichae
Species: Opuntia leucotricha
Name

Opuntia leucotricha DC., Mém. Mus. Par. 17: 119. 1828.
Synonyms

Opuntia leucacantha Link & Otto ex Salm-Dyck, Hort. Dyck.: 362. 1834 syn. sec. Britton & Rose 1919
Opuntia leucacantha Link & Otto ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 167. 1837 syn. sec. Korotkova 2021
Consolea leucacantha (Link & Otto) Lem. in Rev. Hort. 34: 174. 1862 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia fulvispina Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 164. 1837 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia fulvispina var. laevior Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 164. 1837 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia lanigera Parm. ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 157. 1837 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia leucantha Link & Otto ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 167. 1837 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia leucosticta H.L.Wendl. ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 167. 1837 syn. sec. Britton & Rose 1919
Opuntia subferox Schott ex Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 167. 1837 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia erythrocentron Lem. ex C.F.Först., Handb. Cacteenk.: 492. 1846 syn. sec. Britton & Rose 1919
Opuntia leucacantha var. subferox Salm-Dyck ex C.F.Först., Handb. Cacteenk.: 497. 1846 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia rufescens Salm-Dyck ex C.F.Först., Handb. Cacteenk.: 493. 1846 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia fulvispina var. badia Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. Dyck., ed. 1849: 65. 1850 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia leucacantha var. laevior Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. Dyck., ed. 1849: 47. 1850 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Nopalea angustifrons Lindb. in Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 10: 123. 1871 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia leucotricha var. fulvispina F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum., Gesamtbeschr. Kakt., Nachtr. 1: 157. 1903 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Opuntia durangensis Britton & Rose in Smithsonian Misc. Collect. 50(4): 518. 1908 syn. sec. Hunt 2016
Opuntia pyriformis Rose in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12(7): 292, t. 26, f. 35. 1909 syn. sec. Hunt 2016
 Opuntia zamudioi Scheinvar in Cact. Suc. Mex. 44(4): 88–93, f. 1–6. 1999 syn. sec. Hunt 2016

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional: Mexico
Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest
Introduced into:
Canary Is., Free State, Galápagos, Italy, Portugal, Spain

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

De Candolle, A.P. (1828) Mémoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris 17: 119.

Additional references

Korotkova, N., Aquino, D., Arias, S., Eggli, U., Franck, A. , Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Guerrero, P.C., Hernández, H.M., Kohlbecker, A., Köhler, M., Luther, K., Majure, L.C., Müller, A., Metzing, D., Nyffeler, R., Sánchez, D., Schlumpberger, B. & Berendsohn, W.G. 2021. Cactaceae at Caryophyllales. org–a dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family. Willdenowia 51(2): 251–270. DOI: 10.3372/wi.51.51208 Open access Reference page.

Links

Korotkova, N. et al. 2022. Opuntia leucotricha in Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org. A global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 06. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Opuntia leucotricha in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 06. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Opuntia leucotricha. Published online. Accessed: Jan 06 2022.
Tropicos.org 2022. Opuntia leucotricha. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2022 Jan 06.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Opuntia leucotricha in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2022 Jan 06.
Wunderlin, R.P. & Hansen, B.F. 2008. Opuntia leucotricha in Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2015 Apr 17.

Vernacular names
English: arborescent prickly pear, Aaron's beard cactus, semaphore cactus
español: Duraznillo blanco, Nopal blanco, nopal colorado

Opuntia leucotricha is a species of cactus with the common names: arborescent pricklypear, Aaron's beard cactus, and semaphore cactus; and (in Spanish) duraznillo blanco and nopal blanco.[2]
Distribution

It is a species of Opuntia (prickly pear) that is endemic to Mexico. The cactus occurs in mountain habitats, in the states of: San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and Querétaro.[2]
Description

Opuntia leucotricha is a tree-like cactus, growing up to 5 metres (16 ft) tall. The platyclades have a thin fuzz of white hairs on their joints.

The plant is an invasive species in Florida.
References

Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Sánchez , E., Guadalupe Martínez, J. & Bárcenas Luna, R. 2020. Opuntia leucotricha (amended version of 2017 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T151902A183110824. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T151902A183110824.en. Downloaded on 16 September 2021.
"Opuntia leucotricha". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 16 January 2018.