Plant by Plant:
Your Gateway to Traditional Food and Healing Plants
Plant by Plant home
More Prickly Pear
O P U N T I A
by Liliana Rodriguez
opuntia77@yahoo.com
1. Overview
2. Common Species
A. Prickly Pears
B. Chollas
3. Cultivation
and Propagation
4. Historical Aspects
5. Uses of Prickly Pear
A. Source of food for
livestock
B. Source of food for
humans
C. Indirect source of
dye
D. Healing properties
6. Addendum: Interesting
Opuntia facts
Like all types of cacti, Opuntias
are succulent plants with special adaptations for capturing and keeping large
quantities of water. The genus forms an extensive tribe that contains the
well-known prickly pears, known in Spanish as Nopales. Opuntias are
generally regarded as more primitive than the other cacti, but in survival
matters they are the ones found in half of our states and in many, they are the
only cacti found. Del Weniger, in his Cacti
of Texas book (University of Texas Press, 1991), mentions that these plants
are not as popular among collectors as other cacti because people do not
appreciate them. He also mentions that
some collectors travel hundreds of miles for a new barrel cactus specimen and
on the way pass by twenty species of Opuntia, all in sight from the highway
without even stopping to study them.
Hopefully, from this article, you will gain some appreciation for these
extraordinary plants and will stop to take a look when you see them on the side
of the highway.
This large and varied genus with
160-250 species is native to the Western hemisphere and characterized by a
green skin, though a few species are purple. The size ranges from towering
trees to sprawling shrubs. All have joined stems and tiny barbed bristles
called glochids. Stems are
peppered with numerous button-like structures called areoles, which bear large
spines. Spination on pad-shaped leaves
usually appears as a cluster of straight spines, bristly to stout and dotted
across the surface. Along the stem’s
narrow, upturned edge, areoles produce new joints, flowers and fruit from March
through June. The stems must carry on
the process of making food, a task made easier by a thick coating of wax that
helps reduce water loss. The stems have fewer stomata (pores) than most plants
for exchange of essential gases. The pores open only at night when cooler
temperatures reduce the rate of evaporation. Some species of Opuntia, such as O.
sublata have awl-shaped leaves which are often only carried for a
short time, and the stems are divided into more or less regular,
often-flattened joints.
The classification of Opuntias is challenging
even among the most experienced botanists.
For one thing, the pants hybridize easily between species to create
intermediate forms with mixed characteristics. On top of that, a given species
may look great in good soils with adequate moisture, but dwarfed and spindly in
rocky, arid habitats. This happens because they respond to differences in their
environment more quickly and drastically than other cacti. Some cacti just stop growing when their
environment is changed. However,
Opuntia keeps growing in ways that are sometimes radically different, resulting
in these plants sometimes wrongly classified as new species.
Opuntias bear large bell-shaped
flowers which range in color from yellow, white, orange, purple red, or
magenta. The beautiful colors easily
attract pollinators. Potted plants
rarely get large enough to produce many flowers. On pad-shaped species, the flowers appear around the
circumference of the stems. Tubular and globular species bear their flowers
from the areoles. The fruits of the prickly pear are thick-skinned berries the size of an egg, with juicy, brilliant
pulp and small, hard seeds.
Based on the size and shapes of
the stems, these plants are divided into three distinct groups:
Prickly Pears. The prickly pears have flat, oval pads
measuring up to 12 inches across, one growing out of the other. Although shaped
somewhat like a leaf, the pear’s oval pads (called joints) actually are
enlarged stems.
Chollas. These tall, cylindrical-jointed cacti have
thin stems 4 to 5 feet in length that appear as cylinders or links of sausage
rather than flattened pads.
Dwarf species. These have small globular, cylindrical pads
up to 3 inches in diameter
A. A few common species of Prickly Pears (Nopal)
1. O. basilaris - Beaver
tail. Flat, nearly spineless, grey or
blue-green pads. Low branching groundcover to 4 feet. Can be found throughout
much of the US and northern Mexico. Blooms range from most common purple to
carmine, pink, or yellow.
2. O. ficus-indica -
Indian fig. Often grown for its fruit.
This is a tree-form prickly pear from Central Mexico. This shrubby cactus has a
woody trunk and smooth, gray, flat joints.
Mature height may be 8-10 feet. Hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Yellow flowers appear in spring or early
summer. Edible, good-size fruits are either yellow or red. Bristles break off easily.
3. O. phaeacantha -
Engelmann’s prickly pear. Native to the
Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.
Light-green pads support clear yellow flowers followed by dark red
fruit. Some Native Americans groups gather the fruit to use as food and as a
dye.
4. O. robusta. The most beautiful of the tree prickly pears. Its 12-inch diameter, pale blue-pads are almost perfectly round. Maturing at 10 x 10 feet, it is a moderate grower. Large clear, yellow flowers grace the upper edge of the pads in spring. The fruit is large (nearly fist-sized) and sweet. Pollination from a different clone is needed. Native to the southern Chihuahuan Desert. Hardy to less than 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. O. santa-rita. Native to the Santa
Rita Mountains near Tucson, this prickly pear is particularly colorful. Cold
weather brings out the purple in the pads. Clear yellow flowers appear while
pad color is strong. There are many
variations, some nearly spineless, while others have long spines.
6. O. linguiformis -
Tongue cactus or Lengua de Vaca. Grows 3-5 feet high, pads are 8
inches long. Favorite among
gardeners. Weak bloomer, orange or red
flowers. This species is also the most
damaged by pests, and easily killed by frosts.
B. Common Species of Chollas
1. O. acanthocarpa -
Buckhorn cholla. Covers large areas of
the Sonoran Desert. Rare species with
yellow, orange or reddish blooms in springtime. Flower buds are harvested by Native Americans and dried for
food. This cholla matures at 3 to 5
feet in height. Hardy to 19-24 degrees
Fahrenheit.
2. O. bigelovii - Teddy Bear cactus. Grows in Arizona, Nevada and
California. A tree-like cactus with a wooly trunk covered with vicious,
silvery-yellow spines. Flowers, appearing
in early spring, are pale green, yellow, or white marked with
lavender. Grows slowly in the hottest,
driest deserts.
3. O. prolifera - jumping cholla. Erect cactus, 3-8 feet tall. Has reddish brown spines and easily detached
joints. Rose to purple flowers
appear in spring or summer.
1. O.
microdaisys - Bunny ears - This species is from Mexico has a flat, oblong,
spineless pads covered with tufts of golden bristles called glochids (variety
microdaisys), reddish brown (var.
rufida), and white (var. albispina).
CULTIVATION & PROPAGATION
Opuntias are easy to grow and able
to adapt to a variety of environmental conditions. They do well in any limey,
porous soil and are very hardy in winter, if kept dry. Planted singly or in
groups, they can make exciting landscape plants. They need room to grow freely and most species grow rapidly.
Indoors, small species like O. microdaisys are perfect as houseplants in
a sunny window garden. As previously
mentioned, few flower in pots, with O. compresa being an exception.
Propagation is by seed or cuttings.
Prior to transplanting or pruning, the pads need to be dampened with a
gentle spray of water to keep the glochids from blowing around. One of the risks of growing Opuntias is
getting the tiny glochids in your skin. If you get them, just pass your fingers
through your hair, or use duct tape to remove them.
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
Among the Aztecs of prehispanic
Mexico, the prickly pears were one of two types of sacred cacti. The prickly pear was known in nahuatl as teonochtli,
which was depicted in a hieroglyph representing an Opuntia. Some authors believe that it represented the
human heart (which the Aztecs compared with the red prickly pear fruit) offered
to the gods in sacrifice. The other
sacred cactus was a barrel cactus, which was used as an altar for human
sacrifices.
According to legend, the
Nahuatlaca tribes were errant since the year 1116, but a promised land was
announced to them by their Gods. One
early morning in 1325, after many years of wandering, they found the symbol
they were waiting for. Perched on a
stem of a prickly pear cactus was a royal eagle of extraordinary size and beauty,
with a serpent in his talons and his broad wings opened to the rising sun. They recognized this vision as a divine sign
for the Promised Land, and here they founded the city of Tenochtitlan, which
means the “Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus.” The tenochtli became the
symbol and banner of the Aztecs and so they called it nopantli, which
means “my banner,” and is the word from which nopalli was derived ---
the nopal of our times. The Aztecs also used the nopal symbol on all
their artistic work: jewelry, paintings, and feather works. One of the first
gifts sent by Montezuma to King Charles V of Spain was a beautiful collar with
eight golden pieces and 183 chalchihuites
or green stones in the form of little tunas,
(prickly pear fruits) which the ambassadors of the Aztec emperor called xoconoxtlis.
When Mexico obtained its
independence from Spain, as a gesture of respect to the role that cacti played
in the life of the Aztecs and in the recognition of their tribal symbol, the
young nation chose as the emblem of its nationality the old Aztec sign of the
eagle perched on the nopal, as it now embellishes Mexico’s flag.
From Mexico, the Spaniards took the plant as far as the
Mediterranean. It is now abundant in
Italy, Israel and northern Africa and has become a common part of the scenery.
Its fruits are known in Europe as "Indian Figs”. In Mexico, they are known as "tunas."
Sometimes prickly pear can become
invasive plants. In Australia, the prickly pear cactus was planted to feed cattle
and the idea backfired. The plant
thrived so well it overran an area larger than the state of Connecticut,
turning it into a wasteland. In 1920,
the country established a Prickly Pear Board and sent entomologists to America
in search of a way to eliminate these plants.
Research was conducted over many years in an attempt to find an insect
that could kill the Opuntias. More than 500,000 insects of 50 different species
were tested, including the cochineal insects, moths and spider mites to control
the new growth of cactus. In 1930, a moth from Argentina was brought to
Australia, which destroyed the dense growth of prickly pear in seven years.
t source of
food for livestock
t source of
food for humans
t indirect source
of a dye
t healing properties
Source of food for livestock. The prickly pear is extremely valuable as feed for cattle in Mexico and Texas, where most cacti are not suitable for human consumption. Farmers burn off the thorns with a propane torch, and the cactus is mixed with cottonseed cakes and mineral salts. Wild animals, such as deer, javelinas, birds and rodents, can also benefit from this plant, especially during a drought, since this plant is one of the most drought-tolerant plants in South Texas.
Source of food for humans. For centuries, the prickly pear has been a dietary staple for Native Americans and Mexican people. In Mexico, the tender flat-padded Opuntias are called nopalitos. The word “nopalito” means “little nopal,” and nopalli was one of the nahuatl generic names for Opuntia. . The tender stems, still considered a delicacy, are consumed in large quantities during Lent season. They were cooked by the Aztecs with meats, eggs or other vegetables, and condiments such as wild onions, chili peppers, chocolate, and pumpkin seeds.
Before the spines emerge, the young pads are tender and green, with a taste similar to green beans or a bell pepper. They are low in fat and high in fiber and can be cooked in many different ways. They are suitable for use in salads, casseroles and soups. Nopalitos can be cooked like eggplant, boiled like greens, scrambled with eggs, or pickled. The nutritional content of prickly pear is similar to other green vegetables that have little protein and moderate carbohydrates. They are rich in fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B, and C (which they lose when they are boiled or cooked).
Recently, cactus pads have become a popular food in the U.S. and are served at some upscale restaurants. Thanks to organizations such as the Texas Cactus Council, there is now more awareness about the culinary and healing possibilities of this plant.
The fruit, known as tunas (a word introduced by the
Spaniards), are low in calories, high in vitamins A & C, calcium and
phosphorus. Delicious raw, tunas make
excellent fruit drinks, colored jellies, jams and candy. Many products are
obtained from the tuna: a thin syrup, now called miel de tuna, a
marmalade, a thick syrup called melcocha, and a soft paste
called queso de tuna (tuna cheese). The fresh crushed pulp of tuna is mixed with water to prepare
soft drinks, or mixed with pulque, to make a pulque curado de tuna,
quite a delicacy. The juice of tunas was used by the Chichimecs to make
wine called colonche.
Other edible species of Opuntia include O. bigelowii. Their younger joints or stems are used by the Seri Indians of Sonora Mexico as food. After burning off their spines, they are buried underground and left there to continue cooking for about half an hour. Some of the flowers of Opuntia are also used as vegetables mixed with stews. The buds of O. versicolor are consumed by the Papago Indians.
Indirect source of dye. Among the many uses of Opuntia in prehispanic times, one that especially attracted attention of the conquistadores was the use of the cochineal dye. Insects that attack plants are usually considered pests, but sometimes these insects are actually beneficial and profitable. Cochineal, a carminic acid red dye, comes from the pulverized bodies of Dactylopus coccus, an insect that parasitizes prickly pears. The Aztecs use them to dye textiles. In modern times, cochineal dyes are used as food coloring in drinks, cake decorations, and in the production of cosmetics.
Cochineal insects are harvested in Mexico, Honduras and the Canary islands. About 70,000 female insects are required to make a pound of the dye. They are protected during the winter months. Once they are transferred outside, they can be harvested in about 3 months. This insect thrives in some species of Opuntia, such as O. tormentosa.
Healing properties. In folk medicine, the tunas, boiled and mixed with honey, are considered good for respiratory tract infections. O. leucotricha fruit can be eaten for sore throat, diarrhea, and arteriosclerosis. Opuntia pads, sliced in half and heated, are used in Mexico to mitigate pain and reduce swelling. The Aztecs used a paste made from Nopales for toothaches.
Research has demonstrated that pectin - a high fiber, gelatinous substance in species such as O. streptacantha and Nopal Xonocostle, can reduce significantly the levels of blood sugar and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Dr. Eulogio Pimienta from the University of Guadalajara has published about the anti-diabetic properties of Xonocostle, and Dr. Alberto Frati, Chief of Internal Medicine at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico City presented, at a recent scientific meeting, very promising results from his clinical trials with prickly pear cactus in diabetic patients.
It is important to remember that nopales are consumed either fresh or steamed. When cooked, keep the slimy substance (pectin), which has the medicinal properties. Prickly pear is now also sold dehydrated in tablets or capsules. However, according to one researcher, the capsules lack pectin and therefore do not work in reducing serum glucose levels (Ramirez G, UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, 12th Meeting of the International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care, San Francisco, CA, 1996).
Interesting Opuntia Facts:
Although the Opuntia is not from the Mediterranean, its
name comes from the Greek town of Opus, named for the ancient tribe Locri
Opuntii.
Sabra, the Hebrew name for the prickly pear fruit, came to be
used to describe a person born in Israel “tough on the outside, sweet under the
skin”.
Tunas helped saved the lives of explorer Alvar Nuñez Cabeza
de Vaca and his three companions during the early 1500s, after a narrow escape
from Indian enslavement in arid regions of what later became South Texas.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, sailors
carried tunas on long journeys as a means to prevent scurvy on their long
journeys. Tunas have a high content of vitamins A and C.
After the 1850s battle with Comanches near Cotulla, Texas,
Texas Ranger Bigfoot Wallace slapped prickly pear poultices on the wound of his
men. Biographer A.J. Sowell wrote that "the
poultice kept out all fever and the wounded rapidly recovered."
After 1897, the Morley Brothers Drug Company, with a retail
store on Pecan Street (now Sixth Street) in Austin, Texas, manufactured 187
products in its so-called "Cactus-line." It included medications for
athlete's foot, boils, burns, ringworm, sore feet, swellings and other
afflictions of the skin.
Because of the many contributions of the prickly pear to
the landscape, cuisine, and character of the Lone Star State, the prickly pear
cactus was officially designated the “Official State Plant” by the State of
Texas House of Representatives on April 24, 1995.
Bibliography
Weninger, D. Cacti of Texas and Neighboring States. A Field
Guide. University of Texas Press, 1991.
Some Prehispanic Uses of Cacti Among the Indians of Mexico.
Secretaria de Desarrollo Agropecuario. Direccion de Recursos Naturales.
Gobierno del Estado de Mexico. March 1982.
Murray. G. El Poder Curativo del Nopal. Selector Actualidad
Editorial. Mexico City, Mexico. 1997.
For more
information
To learn more about the prickly pear cactus write to
opuntia77@yahoo.com or join the Texas Cactus Council, P.O. Box 423, Benavides,
Texas 78341.