Opuntia humifusa Those recognizing this species treat "Opuntia rafinesquii" as a junior synonym. This plant is very intolerant of shade. It thrives in full sun in hot and dry environments and needs well-drained soil. Opuntia humifusa will grow in open or exposed areas in rocky and coastal scrub habits as well as at elevations where winter hardy. Opuntia humifusa Opuntia humifusa, commonly known as the devil's-tongue, eastern prickly pear or Indian fig, is a cactus native to parts of eastern North America. As is the case in other "Opuntia" species, the green stems of this low-growing perennial cactus are flattened, and are
Opuntia readily between species. This can make classification difficult, yielding a reticulate phylogeny where different species come together in hybridization. Also, not all species listed here may actually belong in this genus, meaning that "Opuntia" is not a monophyletic group. "Opuntia" also has a tendency for polyploidy. The ancestral diploid state was 2n=22, but many species are hexaploid (6n = 66) or octaploid (8n = 88). Chollas, now recognized to belong to the distinct genus "Cylindropuntia", are distinguished by having cylindrical, rather than flattened, stem segments with large barbed spines. The stem joints of several species, notably the jumping cholla ("Cylindropuntia