Velvety tree pear

Appearance

Distinguishing Features

an upright, fleshy, tree -like plant (growing up to 8 m tall) with a single woody main stem at its base.

its stems are much-branched and consist of a series of flattened segments.

these stem segments are covered in fine hairs and bear small raised structures that are usually spineless.

its orange flowers have reddish markings on the outermost 'petals'.

the fleshy fruit (about 50 mm long and 35 mm wide) turn dull red in colour as they mature.

Habit

An upright (i.e. erect), fleshy (i.e. succulent), tree -like plant usually growing 2-6 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 8 m in height.
Stems and Leaves

Its stems are dull green in colour, much-branched, and there is a single thick woody stem at the base of the plant (up to 40 cm thick). The branches consist of a series of flattened (i.e. oblong or elliptic), fleshy (i.e. succulent), stem segments. These stem segments (15-35 cm long, 6-16 cm wide and 15-20 mm thick) are velvety in nature (i.e. finely pubescent) and covered in small raised structures (i.e. areoles) that have clusters of fine yellow bristles (i.e. glochids) 1-5 mm long. The stem segments are usually spineless, but they may occasionally bear groups of one or two grey spines (3-25 mm long). These spines are more prominent on younger plants and tend to be absent from older stem segments.

The leaves are reduced to tiny cylindrical or cone-shaped (i.e. conical) structures. These leaves are also velvety hairy (i.e. finely pubescent) and are quickly shed from the developing stem segments (i.e. they are caducous).
Flowers and Fruit

The bright orange flowers (4-5.5 cm long and 4-5 cm across) usually have reddish coloured markings on the undersides of the outermost petals. They are borne singly on fleshy bases along the margins of the stem segments. Each flower has large numbers of 'petals' (most of these are actually petal-like structures known as petaloids) and numerous stamens. Flowering occurs mostly during spring and summer.

The immature fruit are green in colour, but turn dull red or purplish-red as they mature. These berries (3-5 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide) are fleshy (i.e. succulent), hairy (i.e. tomentose) and somewhat oval in shape (i.e. ellipsoid or obovoid). They have shallowly depressed tips and are covered with several tufts of small prickly bristles (i.e. glochids). The reddish coloured pulp inside the fruit contains large numbers of somewhat rounded (i.e. sub-globose) pale brown seeds (3-5 mm long).

Naming

Common Names:
English – prickly pear, tree pear, velvet opuntia, velvet tree pear, velvety tree pear, woollyjoint prickly pear
Spanish – Nopal Chamacuerito

Synonyms
Opuntia hernandezii DC.
Opuntia macdougaliana Rose
Opuntia sarca Griffiths ex Scheinvar

Distribution

Native to Mexico and Guatemala.
Naturalised Distribution
A relatively widespread species that is mostly found in eastern Australia. It is most common in central and southern Queensland. Also present in northern New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia.

Habitat

This species is mostly found in sub-tropical, semi-arid and warmer temperate environments. It is a weed of roadsides, railways, pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, rangelands, disturbed sites and waste areas.

Reproduction

This species reproduces by stem fragments (i.e. stem segments may become dislodged and produce roots) and also by seeds.

Stem fragments are spread by becoming attached to animals, footwear and vehicles. They are also dispersed in dumped garden waste. The fruit are eaten by various small animals (e.g. birds and foxes) and the seeds spread in their droppings.

Predators

Cactus moth - Cactoblastis cactorum