Opuntia stricta large fruits. It is also spread by people cutting down the cactus but leaving the cuttings, which then re-sprout where they have fallen. No control measures have been carried out except some costly manual removal of about on the dunes near Bundala village. The cactus is due to invade Yala National Park. Opuntia stricta Opuntia stricta is a large sized species of cactus that is endemic in the subtropical and tropical coastal areas of the Americas and the Caribbean. Common names include erect prickly pear and nopal estricto (Spanish). It is an erect or sprawling shrub up to in height,
Opuntia ficus-indica the wild origin of "O. ficus-indica" is likely to have been in Mexico due to the fact that its close genetic relatives are found in central Mexico. "Opuntia ficus-indica" is polyploid, hermaphrodite and autogamous. As "Opuntia" species grow in semi-arid environments, the main limiting factor in their environment is water. They have developed a number of adaptations to dry conditions, notably succulence. The perennial shrub "Opuntia ficus-indica" can grow up to 3-5m height, with thick, succulent and oblong to spatulate stems called cladodes. It has a water-repellent and sun-reflecting waxy epidermis. Cladodes that are 1–2 years old produce flowers, the