Native records: 5 botanical areas
Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Argentina Northwest, 2 more areas
See all areasNatural distribution
Explore mapNativeIntroducedUncertain
Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.
Last updated:
Distribution last verified:
A succulent subshrub / shrub of desert or dry shrubland climates. Native to Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay.
This entry carries only the classification and distribution data recorded in WCVP. A written account is not yet available.
Distribution areas
Argentina
- Argentina NortheastNative
- Argentina NorthwestNative
- Argentina SouthNative
Australia
- QueenslandIntroduced
Bolivia, Plurinational State of
- BoliviaNative
Uruguay
- UruguayNative
Climate of the native range
The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.
- Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
- BSk Arid, steppe, cold
- Aw Tropical, savannah
- BWk Arid, desert, cold
- BSh Arid, steppe, hot
- Am Tropical, monsoon
- Cwa Temperate, dry winter, hot summer
The same climate occurs in 153 areas worldwide, 147 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map
A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).
Recorded medicinal uses
The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.
Opuntia sulphurea is recorded as used medicinally.
Source location: p.226, left column, line 53
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715
Open source
Other names
sulphur cactus
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Opuntia
Other species in Opuntia
- Opuntia spinuliferaLarge Round Leaved Prickly Pear
- Opuntia stenarthra
- Opuntia stenopetalaTuna Colorada
- Opuntia streptacanthaGracemere-pear
- Opuntia strictaAraluen pear, Common pest pear, Prickly pear, Erect Pricklypear
- Opuntia strigilMarble-fruit Prickly Pear
- Opuntia tapona
- Opuntia tehuacana
- Opuntia tehuantepecana
- Opuntia tezontepecana
- Opuntia tomentosaVelvety Tree Pear
- Opuntia tortispina
Sources
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Argentina · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Australia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Bolivia, Plurinational State of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Uruguay · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open source
Image information
Photograph of Opuntia sulphurea
Opuntia13_filtered.jpg : Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961) Daniel Schweich for the filtred image. derivative work: Succu ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · File page