Opuntia repens
Encyclopedia
Opuntia repens is a species of cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...

 that is native to dry forests
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons...

 Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

 and the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...

. It is a small shrub, growing up to 50 cm (20 in) tall, with yellow flowers and red fruit. Like its cousins, "jumping cholla
Jumping Cholla
Cylindropuntia fulgida, the Jumping cholla, also known as the hanging chain cholla, is a cactus that is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.-Distribution:...

" Opuntias of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado deserts, it propagates by a segment dislodging after spines are caught in a large mammal's fur, whereby the segment is transported to another location. This is in addition to propagation by seed.
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