Opuntia elata

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Caryophyllales
Classification System: APG IV Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Diaphoretickes Cladus: CAM Cladus: Archaeplastida Regnum: Plantae Cladus: Angiosperms Cladus: Eudicots Cladus: Core eudicots Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Cactaceae
Subfamilia: Opuntioideae
Tribus: Opuntieae
Genus: Opuntia
Series: Opuntia ser. Armatae
Species: Opuntia elata
Varietates: O. e. var. cardiosperma – O. e. var. delaetiana – O. e. var. elata

Name

Opuntia elata Link & Otto ex Salm-Dyck, Hort. Dyck. 361 (-362). (1834)
Note: Opuntia elata var. delaetiana F.A.C.Webber (1904) is the correct name for the variety not Opuntia elata var. cardiosperma (K.Schum.) R.Kiesling (2005) due to its earlier publication. The priority of their respective root species names is irrelevant as a name has no priority outside of its rank (Art 11.2.)

Synonyms

Homotypic
- Opuntia elata Link & Otto, Verh. Vereins Beford. Gartenbaues Konigl. Preuss. Staaten 6: 434. (1830), nom. inval.
Heterotypic
- Opuntia elata var. oblongata E.Walther, J. Cact. Succ. Soc. Amer. 1: 204. (1930)

Distribution

Native distribution areas:

Continental: Southern America
- Regional: Southern South America
  - Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Paraguay, Uruguay
- Regional: Western South America
  - Bolivia
- Regional: Brazil
  - Brazil South, Brazil West-Central
- Introduced into:
  - Cuba, Italy, Portugal, Sicilia, Spain

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2^nd Edition

References

Primary references

Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck, J. zu 1834. Hortus Dyckensis ou Catalogue des Plantes ... 361 (-362).

Additional references

Korotkova, N., Aquino, D., Arias, S., Eggli, U., Franck, A. , Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Guerrero, P.C., Hernández, H.M., Kohlbecker, A., Köhler, M., Luther, K., Majure, L.C., Müller, A., Metzing, D., Nyffeler, R., Sánchez, D., Schlumpberger, B. & Berendsohn, W.G. 2021. Cactaceae at Caryophyllales. org–a dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family. Willdenowia 51(2): 251–270. DOI: 10.3372/wi.51.51208 Reference page.
Oakley, L.J. & Mogni, V.Y. 2025. Clasificación Infraespecífica y Distribución Geográfica de Opuntia elata (Opuntioideae-Cactaceae). Revista Ciencias Naturales 3(1): 19-37. PDF Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2025. Opuntia elata in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2025 Sept. 16. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2025. Opuntia elata. Published online. Accessed: Sept. 9 2025. Reference page.
Korotkova, N. et al. 2021. Opuntia elata in Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org. A global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Nov. 29. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2021. Opuntia elata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 29 Nov. 2021. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Opuntia elata in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12. Reference page.

Vernacular names

English: Riverena Pear