Opuntia humifusa
| Opuntia humifusa | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opuntia humifusa |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Opuntia humifusa | ||||||||||||
| ( Raf. ) Raf. |
Opuntia humifusa is a species of plant in the genus Opuntia ( Opuntia ) from the cactus family(Cactaceae). Opuntia humifusa is hardy in Central Europe. The specific epithet humifusa means 'stretched out on the ground, lying down, low'.
description
Opuntia humifusa is a clumpy to bushy growing prickly pear cakus, which lying down can reach a height of 10 centimeters, in exceptional cases up to 30 centimeters high. The leaf-like, 5 to 7.5 (rarely up to 12.5) centimeters large segments are round to oval and covered with a few, white to brown areoles . These areoles have a diameter of approx. 3 millimeters and a distance from one another of 1 to 2 centimeters. On the younger areoles, at the top of the segments, brown to gray spines can be seen. These thorns are 2 to 3 inches long and are at right angles to the segment surface. The flowering period extends from June to July. The yellow flowers are simply built. They have a diameter and a length of 4 to 6 centimeters. After successful pollination, reddish, glochid -covered, edible fruits develop .
Opuntia humifusa is a very variable plant, which is also reflected in the very large distribution area. Different forms of plants with strongly differing habitual characteristics exist in the natural locations. Plants can be found without any thorns, as can very strongly thorny plants. The flower color can also vary depending on the location. In this context, it has not yet been finally clarified whether all of these site forms can be summarized as Opuntia humifusa .
In Florida and North Carolina there is a plant that was described as Opuntia drummondii Graham . The American botanist Lyman David Benson does not recognize this species and is of the opinion that it is a natural hybrid between Opuntia humifusa and Opuntia pusilla . He had found a population of the hybrid with many transitional forms in South Carolina in a location where both types of opuntia occur.
Systematics
It was first described as Cactus humifusus in 1820 by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz . Ten years later he placed the species in the genus Opuntia .
Synonyms are:
- Opuntia allairei Griffiths
- Opuntia calcicola Wherry
- Opuntia compressa (Salisbury) Macbride , invalid taxon according to ICBN
- Opuntia cumulicola Small
- Opuntia fuscoatra Engelmann
- Opuntia impedata Small ex Britton & Rose
- Opuntia italica Tenore ex Pfeiffer
- Opuntia nemoralis Griffiths
- Opuntia rafinesquei Engelmann
- Opuntia rubiflora Griffiths
- Opuntia vulgaris Miller - "misapplied"
Occurrence
This cactus is found throughout the eastern and central states of the United States . The natural distribution area extends from the Canadian border to northern Mexico. But it is also naturalized in Europe and even grows in the Swiss Alps .
It is undemanding, but prefers sunny locations and well drained soils. Opuntia humifusa is usually hardy and can withstand temperatures below −30 degrees Celsius if it is not too humid in winter. The plants are considered to be one of the toughest hardy cacti .
use
Peeled shoots of Opuntia humifusa are used for wound treatment from the prairie tribes, the Dakota and Pawnee . The Lakota use them to treat snake bites. The nanticoke use them to heal warts .
Hazards and protective measures
Although this species is still relatively common, it has partially disappeared due to habitat destruction and excessive foraging. In the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN , the species is listed as " Least Concern (LC) ". H. listed as not endangered.
photos
Opuntia humifusa Raf.
Opuntia humifusa
Opuntia humifusa fruit
proof
literature
- Opuntia humifusa Raf. In: Curt Backeberg : Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde . 2nd edition, 1982, Volume I, pp. 478 ff. ISBN 3-437-30380-5
- Opuntia humifusa (Rafinesque) Rafinesque In: Edward F. Anderson: The Cactus Family . Timber Press: Portland (Oregon), 2001, p. 501. ISBN 0-88192-498-9
- Opuntia humifusa Purp. In: Walther Haage : cacti from A to Z . 3rd edition, Quelle & Meyer Verlag: Heidelberg, 1986, p. 535. ISBN 3-494-01142-7
- Fritz Kümmel, Konrad Klügling: Winterharte Kakteen , 1st edition 1987, Neumann Verlag, ISBN 3-7402-0029-4
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annals of nature, or, Annual synopsis of new genera and species of animals, plants, & c. discovered in North America . 1820, p. 15, (online) .
- ↑ Medical flora; or, Manual of the medical botany of the United States of North America . Volume 2, p. 247, (online) .
- ↑ Plants Profile for Opuntia humifusa (devil's-tongue) in the USDA's Plants Database . Retrieved July 2, 2016
- ^ Opuntia humifusa in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Majure, L., 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
further reading
- Lucas C. Majure: Towards an Evolutionary Understanding of the Opuntia humifusa Complex of North America . In: Cactus and Succulent Journal . Volume 82, number 4, 2010, pp. 156-163, DOI: 10.2985 / 015.082.0404 .
