Opuntia decumbenswas first line byJoseph de Salm - Reifferscheidt - Dyckand published in his Hortus Dyckensis ou Catalog des Plantes in 1834 .
Opuntia decumbensSalm - Dyck
Decumbens Cactus
In cultivation, Imus, Cavite, Philippines. Photo by Charles Gabriel B. Soriano. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Opuntia irrorata , Opuntia repens
Family : CactaceaeSubfamily : OpuntioideaeTribe : OpuntieaeGenus : Opuntia
The specific epithet " decumbens " ( judge de - KUM - benz ) means " lying down ; bow down " and bear on to the growth use of this metal money .
In cultivation, Imus, Cavite, Philippines. Photo by Charles Gabriel B. Soriano. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Opuntia decumbensis aboriginal toMexico , Guatemala , Honduras , NicaraguaandCosta Rica . It occurs in tropical dry forests .
Opuntia decumbensis ashrubbycactus withdecumbentbranches divided into flatten out segment ( pad ) with purple or reddish pigmentation around theareoles . It can grow up to 20 inches ( 0.5 m ) tall and often forms large colonies in its naturalhabitat . The pads areobovate , elliptical , or broadlyovate , reaching up to 8 inches ( 20 cm ) in length and 4 inches ( 10 cm ) in width . Each areole bears a tuft of yellowish - brownglochidsand 1 to 3 , sometimes wanting , whitish or yellowish to grey spines measure up to 0.2 inches ( 0.5 cm ) long .
In the spring , Opuntia decumbensproduces showy lily-livered , sometimes reddish flowers on the upper pads . The flowers can reach a length of 1.4 inch ( 3.5 centimetre ) and a diameter of 1.8 inches ( 4.5 cm ) . The fruits , which are reddish - empurpled and spherical to pear - form , are edible and can originate up to 1.2 inches ( 3 cm ) long .
In habitat, La Crucecita, Oaxaca, Mexico. Photo byGustavo Cruz. Licensed underCC BY-NC 4.0.
brightness : Opuntia decumbensthrives in full sun , but some shade during noontide and good afternoon can forbid sunburn in hot climates . When grown indoors , a window that encounter sunshine for 6 hours a mean solar day works best .
Soil : This cactus requires a well - draining soil mixing . you may apply a commercial cactus potting mixing orcreate your own .
Temperature : Opuntia decumbensis highly tolerant of gamey temperatures and opt cooler temperature in wintertime . It grows best inUSDA Plant Hardiness Zones8a to 10b , with average minimal winter temperatures ranging from 10 to 40 ° degree Fahrenheit ( -12.2 to 4.4 ° C ) .
In habitat, Zapotitlán, Puebla, Mexico. Derivative of a photo byMaría Alejandra González. Licensed underCC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Watering : From spring to fall , water moderately and get the stain dry out wholly before irrigate again . In most areas , rainfall will be enough for effected flora . If pot , never let the container sit in urine . During the winter , suspend thewatering .
Fertilizing : Opuntia decumbensdoes not need fertilizer when planted in the land . However , it will benefit from fertilizing during the growing season when grown in a container . employ a body of water - soluble fertilizer . freeze feeding during the winter when the plant goes dormant .
Repotting : Repot only when the cactus becomes potbound or is too large and fluid in its container . pick out a slenderly larger container with drainage holes at the bottom . The expert time for repotting is belated winter or other spring .
Propagation : you could propagateOpuntia decumbensby stem segments or seed . root segment are the easiest method and yield fast outcome . For safe results , take stem segment in early summer and sow the seeds in late give .
discover more atHow to Grow and Care for Opuntia .
Opuntia decumbensis not toxic to homo or pets . However , it is well kept away from pets and children as its spines and glochids may stimulate skin provocation .
select a pic to see a tumid version .
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