ABSTRACT

Opuntia aurantiaca (Cactaceae) is an inconspicuous, perennial succulent shrublet, which seldom exceeds 0.5 m in height in open pasture but can reach up to 2 m in closed vegetation. The plant grows naturally in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The plant consists of sausage-like, fleshy segments or joints (also known as cladodes) and is a serious invasive weed on natural grasslands in Australia and South Africa [3, 4], where it was introduced as an ornamental species and spread rapidly via dispersal of vegetative parts.