opuntia

/ ɒˈpʌnʃɪə /

noun

1. any cactus of the genus Opuntia, esp prickly pear, having fleshy branched stems and green, red, or yellow flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of opuntia¹

C17: New Latin, from Latin Opuntia ( herba ) the Opuntian (plant), from Opus, ancient town of Locris, Greece

Example Sentences

The new study, focused on Carpobrotus, Acacia, Agave, and Opuntia, reveals the sophisticated strategies of invasive plants to occupy new habitats successfully and move the native flora.

From Science Daily

"The case of the Opuntia genus is also very evident along the coastline of the Alt Empordà and southern France, among many other places with fragmented habitats, which are the areas most susceptible to colonization by invasive plants," stresses the author, member of the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

From Science Daily

The event will include displays of many rare and unusual succulents, including aloe, echeveria, euphorbia, agave, opuntia, pachypodium and ferocactus.

From Los Angeles Times

Known scientifically as Opuntia littoralis, coastal prickly pears are native to Southern California and crucial to the ecosystem, according to John Trager, curator of desert collections at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

From Los Angeles Times

Known scientifically as Opuntia littoralis, coastal prickly pears are native to Southern California and crucial to the ecosystem, according to John Trager, curator of desert collections at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

From Los Angeles Times