Opuntia cespitosa in late spring. This species was historically included in a broadly-defined "Opuntia humifusa" group, which is found further to the east. "Opuntia cespitosa" differs from "Opuntia humifusa" in its flowers having a red center. Opuntia cespitosa Opuntia cespitosa, commonly called the eastern prickly pear, is a species of cactus native to North America. It most common west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River, where it is found in the Midwest, Upper South and in Ontario. Its natural habitat is in dry, open areas, such as outcrops, glades, and barrens. "Opuntia cespitosa" is a prostrate succulent shrub,
Plant functional type key parameters are defined, such as fecundity, competitiveness, resorption (rate at which plant decays and returns nutrients to the soil after death), etc.; the value of each parameter is determined or inferred from observable characteristics such as plant height, leaf area, etc. Climatologists and ecologists struggle to determine which minimal set of plant characteristics best model the actual responses of the biosphere in response to climate changes. Plant functional type Plant functional types (PFTs) is a system used by climatologists to classify plants according to their physical, phylogenetic and phenological characteristics as part of an overall effort to develop a