Pest Pear of Australia

Origins: South East USA, Mexico, West Indies

Overall Appearance: A spreading, much-branched, succulent shrub with stem sections (cladodes) flattened, green to bluish-green and longer than broad (up to 23cm by 10 cm). Typically grows 0.5 – 2 metres tall.

Leaves: The "leaves" are actually flattened stems (cladodes) that are oval-shaped up to 23cm by 10cm. The green to bluish-green cladodes are covered in spines that grow from areoles, which are buds on the stem. The spines are yellow and up to 4 cm long. Usually 1 spine per areole or completely absent in var. stricta, but in var. dillenii there are 4–7 coarser spines. The smaller, barbed, and hairlike spines are called glochids and are difficult to remove. The true leaves are reduced to tiny cylindrical or conical structures (4.5-6mm long) and are quickly shed from the developing cladodes. 

Flowers: The large, showy flowers (up to 7cm long and 6-8cm across) are bright yellow, but often have pink or red markings on the outer 'petals' (most of these are actually petal-like structures known as petaloids). They are borne singly on fleshy bases along the margins of the cladodes. Each flower has numerous petaloids and stamens.. Typically from November to January.

Fruit: The immature fruit is green, but turns reddish-purple as it matures. These berries (4-8cm long and 2.5-4cm wide) are fleshy (succulent), egg-shaped and usually have slightly depressed tips. Each fruit has several tufts of glochids on its surface. Fruit are sour tasting.

Seeds: The red or purple pulp in the centre of the fruit contains 60 to 180 seeds (which may remain viable for more than 10 years). These seeds (4-5mm long and 4-4.5mm wide) are generally yellow or pale brown and somewhat rounded (subglobular) in shape.