Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Opuntia megasperma var. mesophytica J. Lundh

tuna

Opuntia megasperma Howell Photo: Frank Bungartz, CDF, 2007.
Opuntia megasperma Howell Photo: Frank Bungartz, CDF, 2007.

An impressive tree cactus with flat, spiny pads. The flowers are bright yellow. Adult cacti have orange-brown trunks with flaking bark and upper branches forming a crown. Popular in gardens for its sculpture-like quality.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)

Order
Caryophyllales

Family
Cactaceae

Genus
Opuntia

Species
megasperma

Subspecies
var. mesophytica

Taxon category: Species with Infraspecific Taxa

Taxon origin: Endemic

Status

Critically endangered

References

  • Wiggins, I.L. Porter, D.M. (1971) Flora of the Galapagos Islands Standford University Press, Stanford.
  • Lundh, J.P. (1995) Some additional information and comments on the Annotated Check list of Vascular Plants of the Galapagos Islands by Lawesson, Adsersen and Bentley. Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished.
  • Lawesson, J.E. Adsersen, H. & Bentley, P. (1987) An updated and annotated check list of the vascular plants of the Galapagos islands. Rept. Bot. Inst., Univ. Aarhus 16: 1-74.
  • Hicks, D.J. Mauchamp, A. (1996) Evolution and conservation biology of the Galapagos Opuntias (Cactaceae). Yearbook Cactus Succulent Soc. Am. 4:
  • Jaramillo, P. (1998) Distribución Espacial de la Vegetación Vascular y Dispersión de Especies Introducidas dentro del Parque Nacional Galápagos. Tesis de Doctorado en Biología, Universidad Central del Ecuador. Especialización ECOLOGIA DE POBLACIONES.
  • Jørgensen, P.M. León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999) Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, 1181 pp.
  • Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
  • Poorman, L.H. (1983) New molluscan species (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda) from the tropical eastern Pacific. The Veliger 26(1): 5-9.
  • Lundh, J.P. (1970) A New Variety Opuntia megasperma from the Galápagos Islands. Madroño 20(5): 254.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging the origin of the data.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Opuntia megasperma var. mesophytica", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=251. Accessed 25 June 2024.