Pollination of the southwestern Opuntias

摘要: This paper presents an overview of pollination systems inOpuntia sens. lat. in the southwestern United States. The floral syndrome large, colorful, bowl-shaped, diurnal flowers is present all prickly-pear species and most cholla (Cylindropuntia) this area. Pollination by medium-sized large bees established for some with predicted others. same widespread other geographical areas.—Deviations from occur certain chollas, one which has nocturnal disc-shaped flowers, several tropical American groups or segregate genera red hummingbird flowers. But such cases are relatively infrequent. Divergence between respect to system not a common feature evolutionary pattern ofOpuntia.