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Opuntia striata var. dillenii
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Family:
CACTACEAE
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Citation: Opuntia striata Haw. var. dillenii (Ker-Gawl.) L., Benso, Car. Succ. J. (Los Angles) 41: 126. 1969; M. Mohanan & Henry, Fl. Thiruvanthapuram 210. 1994; Sasidh., Fl. Chinnar WLS 139. 1999; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 139. 2002; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 329. 2009.
Opuntia dillenii (Ker-Gawl.) Haw., Suppl. Pl. Succ. 79. 1819; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 657. 1879; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 548(387). 1919; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 219. 1990.
Cactus dillenii Ker-Gawl., Bot. Reg. 3: t. 255. 1818.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Nagamullu, Nagathali, Palakakkalli, Rakthakally
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Prickly pear
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Description:
Fleshy shrubs with often drooping branches; stem flat, obovate or oblanceolate, glaucous; areoles with 5-7 spines, densely bristly at base; spines yellow. Young leaves c. 5 mm long, subulate, fleshy, seated on a swollen fleshy base. Flowers to 5 cm across. Perianth many, yellow; outer tepals c. 2 cm long; inner ones c. 3 cm long, obovate. Stamens many. Ovary c. 2 cm long, glochidiate; style apically branched. Berry obovoid. Seeds many.
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Habit:
Shrub
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Flowering & Fruiting:
Throughout the year
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District(s):
Palakkad, Alappuzha, Idukki, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kollam, Malappuram, Kozhikkode
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Dry deciduous forests and scrub jungles, also in the plains
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Distribution:
Native of Tropical America
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Yellow
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Weed:
Yes
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
Yes
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Champakkad, Anappadi, Panangotteri, Alappuzha beach, Purakkad
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