Opuntia galapageia
Galápagos prickly pear
Family CactaceaeAlso called Prickly pear
About
The Galápagos prickly pear is a cactus found only in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. Forms from different islands, once described as separate species such as O. echios and O. helleri, are now included in it.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, but spines and glochids cause injury. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Barbed glochids lodge in skin and irritate; wear gloves when handling. General guidance for the genus
- Light
- Full sun (6+ hours of direct sun); high light indoors. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Very drought tolerant; avoid soggy soil, which causes root rot. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Well-drained sandy or loamy soil; cactus mix in pots. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- A single detached pad roots readily to form a new plant. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Variable between islands. The variety myriacantha (syn. var. echios) has some of the longest cactus spines known, up to 25 cm.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, with different forms on different islands.
History & etymology
Described by John Stevens Henslow in 1837 from material first recorded by Charles Darwin on Santiago (James) Island, where Darwin spent nine days in 1835.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Ecuador
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Crossed O. galapageia with another species?Register the cross. If it's not documented yet you'll be the first contributor; if someone already registered it, you'll be taken there to add your photo.