Opuntia, Prickly Pear Cactus 'Spineless'

This is not the only spineless prickly pear. (For example, see Opuntia cacanapa 'Ellisana', which lacks both spines and glochids.)
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The World Conservation Union has included this species in their list of 100 of the world's worst invasive species, one of only 32 terrestrial species so singled out. [HYPERLINK@www.k-state.edu]

In the US, its native range is widely scattered from Texas to Virginia and coastal Florida. In Florida, it has been declared "Threatened".

It is also native to eastern Mexico, central America, northern South America, and the islands of the Caribbean.

Outside its native range, it has often proved invasive, as in Sri Lanka, South Africa, east Africa, and Australia. In Australia, its invasiveness was tamed through biological control strategies in a classic early story of successful biological control.

This is a popular cultivated spineless form that has pads with scalloped edges. The pads are also somewhat pointed at the top many times....Read More This was previously known as (and may still be listed in various places) Opuntia gomei 'Old Mexico', but recent genetic tests indicate it is a spineless form of Opuntia stricta.

Though I am unschooled in understanding exactly how to speciate cacti, this one at least has a unique pad shape (scalloped along the edge...Read Mores) that makes it stand out amongst most of the Opuntias I see.