Editing Eastern Prickly Pear (section)

== Definition of Terms ==

While certain terms referring to ''Opuntia humifusa'', such as '''cladode''' and '''glochid''', are well-defined and universally agreed-upon, it is necessary to implement some terms which are decidedly less strictly defined or even invented in the course of my own research.  These terms include descriptions of the varying growth habits of the cactus, as well as the criteria for evaluating colony structures.

An '''individual plant''' is defined as a specimen which strongly exhibits a distinct basal center.  Typically, only one to two tightly grouped cladode "stalks" form the foundation of the plant.

A '''juvenile plant''' is defined as an individual plant which has less than 6 cladodes ''and'' does not yet appear to be able to produce flowers.  In many cases, juvenile plants may possess only one cladode which may have grown from seed or from a cladode that broke free of a parent plant.  Juvenile plants, however, can also possess a half-dozen small cladodes and be very close to a level of maturation where it may begin to flower.  In either case, juvenile plants are always rather small and represent ''O. humifusa'' specimens which are undoubtedly young.  Due to insufficient study of the species, as well as varying growth rates on different habitat, it is difficult to specify an approximate age range with juvenile plants.  Therefore, status as a juvenile is strictly determined by cladode count and the apparent inability of the small specimen to produce flowers and fruits.

'''Clonal clusters''' are defined as clumps or mats of ''O. humifusa'' which do not exhibit a distinct basal center.  These mats can be highly variable in size, ranging from 2 square feet to nearly 40 square feet.  From a technical standpoint, the distinction between an individual plant and a clonal cluster can be deceiving, since clonal clusters essentially represent individual plants which simply exhibit a clumpy or mat-like growth habit, thus occasionally becoming very large while still possessing a single, integrated root system.

A '''colony''' is defined as an instance in which ''O. humifusa'' can be found growing in a specific geographical location.  Typically, a colony exists in a small enough area that a single set of coordinates can sufficiently pinpoint the location.  Colonies can can range in size from a single, large clonal cluster (West Rock South Colony) to several dozen individuals and/or clonal clusters scattered generously throughout an acre of land.

A '''complex''' is defined as series of colonies which, despite being observably distinct, exist in very close proximity to each other.  Each distinct colony included a given complex should exist no more than 500 feet from at least one other colony in that complex.  Thus, a complex can encompass only a few acres and include only two colonies (West Rock North Complex) or may encompass well over 100 acres and include over a dozen colonies (Long Beach Complex).  In certain instances, it is sufficient for two colonies to be grouped into the same complex if there is even little more than one or two individual plants that lie between them at some intermediate point.  For example, if Colony A and Colony B are 800 feet from each other, but a lone individual plant can be found growing at some intermediate point in between, then both colonies are considered to be part of the same complex.

I first considered defining something like a complex after discovering two distinct colonies on the northern end of West Rock Ridge in New Haven (formerly West Rock Dunbar Colony and West Rock Shepard Colony) which existed in such close proximity to each other that it might have been possible to mistake them for one continuous colony if one did not examine them at length.  The concept became a necessity after I examined the area of Long Beach in Stratford and Bridgeport, where colonies could be found liberally distributed over the course of nearly a mile of peninsular beach and scrubland.  In such a case, it would simply be impractical to attempt to affix a unique name to each colony found in such a densely populated area.  In these instances, the introduction of the concept of the complex serves to simplify the naming process and identify an area where ''O. humifusa'' is more locally widespread than at an isolated colony.