Opuntia bentonii

Opuntia bentonii View in CoL is essentially unknown or unreported. It is found along the Texas and west Louisiana Gulf Coast primarily in foredunes and infrequently in back dunes. It is distinct and different from O. anahuacensis , another Texas and Louisiana beach plant with which it is sometimes sympatric. Opuntia bentonii may have been a component of the Australian pest-pear invasion, but this is not certain. No meaningful information has apparently been published about it since Small wrote about it in 1933.

Because it may have a broad root system as described for other Opuntia species, O. bentonii may be important in dune stabilization and could assist in restoration efforts. Its relationships with dune plants or animals are unknown, but it produces copious fruit, which may be important to insects, mammals, and birds. Studies are needed to understand the overall O. bentonii distribution, possible invasiveness, and contributions to dune ecosystems of this overlooked plant.