This introduced shrub is commonly known as beach prickly pear cactus.
Opuntia anahuacensis is described as a "dicot" in the Cactaceae family.
In the Queensland Nature Conservation Act it is not classified as it is not native to Queensland. Under the Federal Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act it is not classified.
Some records of Opuntia stricta may actually be Opuntia anahuacensis which is currently not recorded in Australia (https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/583278).
Plants 30-60 cm tall, but multiple plants can form large horizontal, impenetrable thickets several meters across. (https://www.opuntiads.com/opuntia-anahuacensis/)
Observation outside of the region at Redcliffe, ID to be confirmed (https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/36931226).
It has not been recorded in the Wide Bay district in the Queensland Herbarium Census and is not listed as occurring in the Fraser Coast region in Queensland Herbarium Wildlife Online.
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Fraser Coast distribution based on unverified field reports.
AVH
