Opuntia mesacantha subsp. lata

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens from wild populations. Cultivated occurrences are not mapped. View county names by placing the cursor over the map.

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Family:	CACTACEAE
Species:	Opuntia mesacantha Raf. subsp. lata (Small)Majure
Common Name:	PRICKLYPEAR
Status:	Native
Specimen:	View details of USF Herbarium specimens

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Division
Class
Sub Class
Order	CARYOPHYLLALES
Family	CACTACEAE
Genus	Opuntia
Species	Opuntia mesacantha Raf. subsp. lata (Small)Majure - PRICKLYPEAR

Citation

Citation	OPUNTIA MESACANTHA Rafinesque, subsp. LATA (Small) Majure, Phytoneuron 2014(106): 1. 2014
Basionym:	Opuntia lata Small 1919
Type:	FLORIDA: Alachua Co.: 12 mi. W of Gainesville, 13 Dec 1917, Small s.n. (holotype: NY).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Source

County	Herbaria	Literature Citation (If Applicable)
Alachua	USF
Brevard	USF
Broward	USF
Calhoun	USF
Charlotte	USF
Citrus	USF
Clay	USF
Collier	USF
Columbia	FLAS
DeSoto	USF
Dixie	MISSA
Duval	MICH
Flagler	USF
Franklin	MICH
Gadsden	FSU
Gilchrist	USF
Glades	USF
Gulf	USF
Hamilton	USF
Hardee	USF
Hernando	FLAS
Highlands	USF
Hillsborough	USF
Jackson	FSU
Lafayette	USF
Lake	USF
Lee	USF
Leon	FSU
Levy	USF
Liberty	FSU
Manatee	USF
Marion	USF
Monroe Mainland	USF
Okaloosa	USF
Orange	FLAS
Osceola	USF
Palm Beach	USF
Pasco	USF
Pinellas	USF
Putnam	USF
Santa Rosa	FLAS
Sarasota	USF
St. Johns	FLAS
Sumter	FLAS
Taylor	USF
Volusia	USF
Wakulla	FSU
Walton	FLAS
Washington	FSU

Synonyms

– Denotes synonyms that are applicable to the state. Show these synonyms only

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Cactus opuntia var. nana	Cactus opuntia Linnaeus, var. nana de Candolle, Pl. Hist. Succ. pl. 138(opposite). 1804.		TYPE: Without data (lectotype: de Candolle, Pl. Hist Succ. pl. 138(opp.). 1804). Lectotypified by L. D. Benson, Cacti U.S. Canada 923. 1982.
Opuntia eburnispina	Opuntia eburnispina Small ex Britton & Rose, Cact. 4: 260, f. 237. 1923.		TYPE: FLORIDA: Collier Co.: Cape Romano, 10 May 1922, Small s.n. (holotype: NY).
Opuntia impedata	Opuntia impedata Small ex Britton & Rose, Cact. 4: 257, f. 235. 1923.		TYPE: FLORIDA: Duval Co.: Atlantic Beach E of Jacksonville, Apr 1921, Small s.n. (holotype: NY; isotypes: US).
Opuntia lata	Opuntia lata Small, J. New York Bot. Gard. 20: 26. 1919.		TYPE: FLORIDA: Alachua Co.: 12 mi. W of Gainesville, 13 Dec 1917, Small s.n. (holotype: NY).
Opuntia nana	Opuntia nana (de Candolle) Visiani, Fl. Dalmat. 3: 143. 1850.	BASIONYM: Cactus opuntia Linnaeus, var. nana de Candolle 1804.
Opuntia turbinata	Opuntia turbinata Small, Man. S.E. Fl. 910, 1506. 1933.		TYPE: FLORIDA: Duval Co.: "St. Scorge Island" [Fort George Island], 22 Aug 1922, Small s.n. (holotype: NY?).
Opuntia vulgaris forma nana	Opuntia vulgaris Miller, forma nana (de Candolle) Schelle, Handb. Kakteenkult. 50. 1907.	BASIONYM: Cactus opuntia Linnaeus, var. nana de Candolle 1804.
Opuntia vulgaris var. nana	Opuntia vulgaris Miller, var. nana (de Candolle) K. Schumann, Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 715. 1898.	BASIONYM: Cactus opuntia Linnaeus, var. nana de Candolle 1804.
Opuntia youngii	Opuntia youngii C. Z. Nelson, Trans. Illinois Acad. Sci. 12: 119. 1919.		TYPE: FLORIDA: Hillsborough Co.: Little Manatee River State Park, E side of main park drive, 250 ft. S of Ranger Station, 27 Apr 1999, Myers 360 (neotype: USF). Neotypified by Majure et al., Phytotaxa 290(1): 52. 2017.
Opuntia macrarthra	Opuntia macrarthra Gibbes, Proc. Elliott Soc. Nat. Hist. Charleston 1: 273. 1859.		TYPE: SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston Co.: Within a few miles of Charleston, 1 Sep 1857, Gibbes s.n. (holotype: CHARL(lost)). NEOTYPE: SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston Co.: Isle of Palms, near Charleston, 14 Feb 1916, Small s.n. (neotype: US; isoneotypes: NY, US). Neotypified by Majure, Phytoneuron 2014(106): 2. 2014.

Specimens

Country	State	County	Date	Specimen	Notes
USA	Florida	Gulf Co.	07 Jun 1938	F. N. Young 8
USA	Florida	Gilchrist Co.	28 Apr 1961	G. R. Cooley 8190
USA	Florida	Pasco Co.	03 Jul 2003	E. M. Ferguson 217
USA	Florida	Osceola Co.	16 Jun 1988	B. F. Hansen 11748
USA	Florida	Collier Co.	24 Oct 1980	R. P. Wunderlin 8834
USA	Florida	Marion Co.	18 Jul 1985	R. P. Wunderlin 9867
USA	Florida	Palm Beach Co.	28 Sep 1984	R. P. Sauleda 8769
USA	Florida	Broward Co.	02 May 1959	W. C. Sturtevant 137
USA	Florida	Highlands Co.	17 Apr 1979	B. F. Hansen 5388
USA	Florida	Sarasota Co.	26 May 1965	O. K. Lakela 28689
USA	Florida	Lake Co.	29 Apr 1960	G. R. Cooley 7345
USA	Florida	Manatee Co.	04 Oct 1978	C. H. Dodson 4851
USA	Florida	Brevard Co.	22 May 1965	O. K. Lakela 28682
USA	Florida	Levy Co.	25 Apr 1959	G. R. Cooley 6521
USA	Florida	Alachua Co.	22 Apr 1937	F. N. Young 29
USA	Florida	Clay Co.	03 Jun 2005	J. M. Kunzer 1090
USA	Florida	Pasco Co.	31 May 1984	B. F. Hansen 9907
USA	Florida	Highlands Co.	25 Apr 1988	K. R. DeLaney 1666
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	24 Aug 1960	J. D. Ray, Jr. 10143
USA	Florida	Brevard Co.	17 Apr 1973	A.G. Shuey M0038
USA	Florida	Brevard Co.	17 Apr 1973	A.G. Shuey M0040
USA	Florida	Charlotte Co.	07 Mar 1991	S. Erickson PC0031
USA	Florida	Alachua Co.	s.d.	F. N. Young 22
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	12 May 1993	B. F. Hansen 12074
USA	Florida	Okaloosa Co.	29 Apr 1982	R. P. Sauleda 7128
USA	Florida	Citrus Co.	21 Apr 1959	G. R. Cooley 6457
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	06 Oct 1979	P. Genelle 3264
USA	Florida	Monroe Co.	07 May 1965	O. K. Lakela 28582A
USA	Florida	Sarasota Co.	02 Apr 1981	R. P. Wunderlin 8915
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	27 Sep 1966	O. K. Lakela 30267
USA	Florida	Hardee Co.	09 Nov 1993	B. F. Hansen 12444
USA	Florida	Putnam Co.	04 Apr 1939	F. N. Young 23a
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	04 May 1994	R. P. Wunderlin 10421
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	27 Apr 1999	J. Myers 360
USA	Florida	Highlands Co.	07 Apr 2004	A. Bishop HH0289
USA	Florida	Lee Co.	05 Apr 1999	S.W. Braem GI0081
USA	Florida	Lafayette Co.	12 Jun 2008	B. F. Hansen 13181
USA	Florida	Sarasota Co.	23 Aug 2007	A. R. Franck 328
USA	Florida	Hamilton Co.	13 Jun 2008	B. F. Hansen 13270
USA	Florida	DeSoto Co.	31 Jul 2008	A. R. Franck 751
USA	Florida	Highlands Co.	25 Apr 1998	C. vanHoek 1097
USA	Florida	Volusia Co.	27 Apr 2008	J. M. Kunzer 2414
USA	Florida	Glades Co.	28 Aug 2011	A. R. Franck 2713
USA	Florida	Calhoun Co.	13 May 2012	T. MacClendon 1185
USA	Florida	Flagler Co.	05 Jul 2012	S. Myers 583
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	03 Jan 1961	Hockaday 9	From Eckerd College Herbarium.
USA	Florida	Taylor Co.	28 Sep 2014	A. R. Franck 3635
USA	Florida	Calhoun Co.	09 May 2015	T. MacClendon 1410

Listed Status: Florida

Listed Status:	(Florida):Source - Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Chapter 5B-40, Florida Administrative Code. 1998, amended.
Endangered:	A species of plants native to the state that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue, and includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Threatened:	Listed as Threatened Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Defined as species of plants native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in such number as to cause them to be endangered.

Listed Status: US

Listed Status: US	(U.S.) Source - List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Endangered:	Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Threatened:	Any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

WAP: Wetland AssessmentProcedure

Wetland Assessment Procedure (WAP): Source - Southwest Florida Water Management District, Wetland Assessment Procedure Instruction Manual for Isolated Wetlands (March 2005).

AD:	Adaptive Species. Plant species designated as FAC or Upland by DEP, but commonly seen in the transition zone in limited numbers.
D:	Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the deep zone, and designated either FAC or OBL by DEP.
OD:	Outer Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the outer deep zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
T:	Transition Species. Plant species commonly found in the transition zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
U:	Upland Species. Plant species that are not expected to be seen in wetlands.

ANY - WAP critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with WAP designations
No - Show results without WAP designations

FISC: Florida Invasive Species Council

FISC:

Source - Florida Invasive Species Council's 2017 List of Florida's Most Invasive Species

Category I - Species that are invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused.

Category II - Species that have shown a potential to disrupt native plant communities. These species may become ranked as Category I, but have not yet demonstrated disruption of natural Florida communities.

DEP: Department of Environmental Protection

Wetland Status, Department of Environmental Regulation (DEP): Source - Delineation of the Landward Extent of Wetlands and Surface Waters, Chapter 62-340, Florida Administrative Code. 1994.

OBL:	Obligate wetland. Occurs almost always under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally found in non-wetlands
FAC:	Facultative. equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

NWPL: National Wetland Plant List

National Wetland Plant List (NWPL): Source - Lichvar, R.W., M. Butterwick, N.C. Melvin, and W.N. Kirchner. 2014. The National Wetland Plant List: 2014 Update of Wetland Ratings. Phytoneuron 2014-41: 1-42.

OBL:	Obligate Wetland. Occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in non-wetlands.
FAC:	Facultative. Equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands (estimated probability 34%-66%).
FACU:	Facultative Upland. Usually occurs in non-wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in wetlands (estimated probability 1%-33%).
UPL:	Obligate Upland. Occurs in wetlands in another region, but occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in non-wetlands in the regions specified.

Persisting

Identifying species that appear as waifs or only periodically appear in the flora for a few seasons.

Any - Persisting critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with a Persisting value of Y
No - Show results without Persisting value of N

Duration

Annual:	Plants that perform their entire lifecycle within a single growing season. All roots, stems, and leaves die at the end of the growing season. Over wintering seeds allow the next generation to appear.
Biennial:	A plant that is typically vegetative its first year and blooms the following season. Once it has bloomed and set seed, the plant dies. Garlic mustard is an example of a biennial.
Perennial:	These plants live for three or more seasons. Many perennials may not be mature enough to bloom during its first year. Perennial wildflowers re-grow each season from overwinter root material.

Category

Vascular:	Any of various plants that have the vascular tissues xylem and phloem. The vascular plants include all seed-bearing plants (the gymnosperms and angiosperms) and the pteridophytes (including the ferns, lycophytes, and horsetails). Also called tracheophyte.
Bryophyte:	A large group of seedless green plants including the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Bryophytes lack the specialized tissues xylem and phloem that circulate water and dissolved nutrients in the vascular plants. Bryophytes generally live on land but are mostly found in moist environments, for they have free-swimming sperm that require water for transport. In contrast to the vascular plants, the gametophyte (haploid) generation of bryophytes constitutes the larger plant form, while the small sporophyte (diploid) generation grows on or within the gametophyte and depends upon it for nutrition.
Lichen:	The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component.

(Definitions from: American Heritage Science Dictionary)

Growth Habit

Intro paragraph to be provided by New York.

Vine:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Shrub:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Tree:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Et cetera:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.

State Rank

This numeric rank provides the relative rarity for each species based on a scale from 1 (very rare) to 5 (common). These ranks carry no legal status.

S1 - Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state.
S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state.
S3 - Typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state.
S4 - Apparently secure in the state.
S5 - Demonstrably secure in the state.
SE - State exotic or non-native.
SH - Historically known from the state, but not seen in the past 15 years.
SNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. This is mainly those species which are now excluded from flora for various reasons.
SNR - Not yet ranked.
SX - Apparently extirpated from the state.

Global Rank

Each species' global rank is determined by NatureServe. These ranks carry no legal weight. The global rank reflects the species worldwide rarity.

G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences), or very few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or especially vulnerable to extinction because of some factor of its biology.
G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G3 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G4 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
GH - Historically known, with the expectation that it might be rediscovered.
GNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. NatureServe does not typically rank hybrid species.
GNR - Not yet ranked.
GX - Species believed to be extinct.

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Filter by County - Counties to Exclude - ANY versus ALL

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Associated Ecological Communities

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Richard Wunderlin or Bruce Hansen, Alan Franck, or Karla Alvarado

Web Development: USF Water Institute

A member of the University of South Florida family of PlantAtlas.org websites

Citation Information:

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2024. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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Definition: Vouchered Specimen

A voucher specimen is a pressed and thoroughly dried plant sample deposited in a herbarium, and is intended to be a permanent record supporting research purposes. A voucher may be a record of a plant's occurrence in a particular area, or a specific example of a plant used in a scientific investigation.

Proper vouchers display all the necessary attributes for complete identification of the plant, and are to be accompanied by accurate locality, habitat, collection time, and collector data.

Only plant populations vouchered by specimens deposited in Index Herbariorum http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ recognized herbaria are represented on this map.