This variety of prickly pear cactus is found in the Galápagos Islands, at elevations up
to 4921′ (1.5 km). Charles
Darwin noticed that cactus finches preferred its fruits and flowers, dispersing its seeds.
Doves and mockingbirds also eat the fruit.
Tortoises and land animals eat the pads.
Plants: A shrubby or tree-like cactus. It may
remain low and creeping, or become tree-like, with a woody trunk and reddish brown
bark, reaching 8-16′ (2.5-5 m) in height. Its habit,
armament of joints, and character of its spines are all highly variable. It may form large,
sprawling thickets. Stems are a series of fleshy pads up to 1′ (37 cm) ×
9″ (22 cm), covered with evenly spaced clusters of 7 to 28 yellowish-white or brown
spines. These spines are soft and flexible instead of rigid.
Flowers: Yellow flowers are up to 3″ (8 cm) long.
Fruits: Called “prickly pears,” fruits are large, green, and fleshy.
They are approximately ovoid, and usually contain multiple seeds.