Huajuapan prickly pear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Huajuapan prickly pear |
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| Flowering individual | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Opuntioideae |
| Tribe: | Opuntieae |
| Genus: | Opuntia |
| Species: |
O. huajuapensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Opuntia huajuapensis Bravo
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| Distribution | |
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The Huajuapan prickly pear, also known as Opuntia huajuapensis, is a special type of prickly pear cactus. It belongs to the large cactus family. A scientist named Helia Bravo Hollis first described this plant in 1953. It was named after the town of Heroica Ciudad Huajuapan de León in Oaxaca, Mexico. This is where the first plants were found.
Contents
What the Huajuapan Prickly Pear Looks Like
The Huajuapan prickly pear is a shrubby cactus. This means it grows wider than it is tall. Its stems do not have many spines. It has bright yellow flowers.
This cactus has large spines that cover most of its pads. The pads are the flat, green parts of the cactus. The fruit of this cactus is sweet. Inside, the fruit is yellow-green.
Where the Huajuapan Prickly Pear Lives
The Huajuapan prickly pear grows naturally in parts of Mexico. You can find it in the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Tlaxcala.
It grows in places that are high up, from about 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) to 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) above sea level. It mostly lives in areas with grasslands near mountains, called Pre-cordilleran steppes. It also grows in places with scattered oak trees, known as Oak-savannahs.
Protecting the Huajuapan Prickly Pear
The Huajuapan prickly pear is currently listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List. This means that scientists are not very worried about it disappearing. There are not many big threats to this cactus in its natural home.
How People Use the Huajuapan Prickly Pear
The Huajuapan prickly pear does not have many known uses right now. However, it has been brought to parts of Spain. In Spain, people grow it as an ornamental cactus. This means they grow it because it looks nice.
But in Europe, this cactus is on a list of "Alien invasive species." This is because it is not native to Spain. It could potentially cause problems for local farms and tourism there.
See also
In Spanish: Nopal chino para niños
