Opuntia stricta

Native from the southeastern United States to eastern and southern Mexico, this prickly pear grows as a succulent shrub. Yellow flowers emerge from the edges of flattened green pads and have numerous overlapping petals surrounding pale stamens. The plant occurs in dry shrubland and desert habitats. It belongs to the cactus family, Cactaceae, with fleshy stems that store water and carry out photosynthesis. It is invasive in Australia, where dense, spiny thickets displace native plants and obstruct access to grazing land. Detached pads can root and produce new plants. Photographed in Colombia.