Taxon: Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl. ex Pfeiff.

Summary

Genus:

Opuntia

Family:

Cactaceae

Subfamily:

Opuntioideae

Tribe:

Opuntieae

Nomen number:

25866

Place of publication:

Enum. diagn. Cact. 165. 1837 (H. L. Wendland, Cat. hort. Herrnh. 1835, num. nud.?)

Verified:

08/29/2002 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

17 (9 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl. ex Pfeiff. var. robusta

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Opuntia camuessa F. A. C. Weber
Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl. ex Pfeiff. var. larreyi (F. A. C. Weber ex J. M. Coult.) Bravo

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Anderson, E. F. 2001. The cactus family 516. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Backeberg, C. 1958. Die Cactaceae 1:533.
Backeberg, C. 1977. Das Kakteenlexikon 329.
Benson, L. 1982. The cacti of the United States and Canada 274. Note: mentions
Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
CITES. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices I, II and III (on-line resource).
Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Erhardt, W. et al. 2000. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 16. Auflage Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl. & Pfeiff.
George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Hosking, J. R. et al. 1988. Distribution and biological control of cactus species in eastern Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 3:120.
IPGRI. New World Fruits Database (on-line resource).
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1979-. Flora fanerogámica del Valle de México. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Vigueras G., A. L. & L. Portillo. 2001. Uses of Opuntia species and the potential impact of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Mexico. Florida Entomol. 84:494.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	wheel cactus	1	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	bartolona	2	Anderson, E. F. 2001. The cactus family 516. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	camuesa	2	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	joconoxtle	2	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	nopal camueso	2	Vigueras G., A. L. & L. Portillo. 2001. Uses of Opuntia species and the potential impact of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Mexico. Florida Entomol. 84:494.
Spanish	nopal tapón	2	Anderson, E. F. 2001. The cactus family 516. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	tuna bartolona	2	Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	tuna tapón	2	Anderson, E. F. 2001. The cactus family 516. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Spanish	tuna tapona	2	Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila de Zaragoza		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Durango		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Aguascalientes		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guanajuato		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	México		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro		Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	New South Wales	s.w.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	South Australia	s.e.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Victoria		George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.

Native
Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Coahuila de Zaragoza, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, México, Querétaro]

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias]
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales (s.w.), South Australia (s.e.), Victoria]

Reference(s)

Bravo-Hollis, H. & H. Sánchez-Mejorada. 1978. Las Cactáceas de México, vol. 1 - 1978, vols. 2,3 - 1991 333-334. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.
Human food	vegetable	Vigueras G., A. L. & L. Portillo. 2001. Uses of Opuntia species and the potential impact of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Mexico. Florida Entomol. 84:494.
Weed		Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia. Note: lists as Opuntia robusta H. L. Wendl.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=25866. Accessed 15 April 2026.