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According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture “prickly pear”
in the cactus family is the common name for the genus Opuntia, which
contains fifty-nine different species found in North and South
America and surrounding environs. They are more commonly found in
deserts but there are varieties that thrive in the Great Plains and
American Southeast. For a list of prickly pear cacti, see below in
notes of interest. All have flat, fleshy pads that look like large
leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems that serve
several functions -- water storage, photosynthesis and flower
production.
Description: Most prickly pears have large spines which grow on the
pads and stems from tubercles (small bumps). Around the large spines
are clusters of fine, tiny, barbed spines called glochids. Glochids
easily detach from the plant and can lodge into skin. Most prickly
pear cacti can have yellow, red or purple flowers, even among the
same species. They vary in height from less than a foot, such as the
plains or hedgehog, to over 6 feet, such as the blind prickly pear
or pancake. Pads can vary in width, length, shape and color. While
all varieties have glochids, certain varieties such as the blind
pear, are regarded as spineless.
Location: While many people associate cactus with the desert,
prickly pear cacti varieties can be found in different environments.
Englemann’s prickly pear can be found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan
deserts while the coastal prickly pear can be found in California
and the grassland prickly pear can be found in the Great Plains in
the U.S.
Edible: The fruits of most prickly pears are edible. Prickly pear
branches and pads can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Prickly
Pear Nectar is made with the juice and pulp of the fruits. The
fruits and pads of the prickly pear cactus are rich in slowly
absorbed soluble fibers that may help keep blood sugar stable.
According to Web MD, “Prickly pear cactus might lower blood sugar
levels in people with diabetes. Watch for signs of low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have
diabetes and use prickly pear cactus” Some side effects of eating
prickly pear include mild diarrhea, nausea, increased amount and
frequency of stool, bloating and headache.
Notes of Interest: A dye was made by Native Americans and settlers
with the blood of cochineal bugs, an insect that feeds on the pads
of the prickly pear.
A cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, that is
native to South America was inadvertently introduced into the United
States in the Southeast and is making its way west. It presents a
potential problem since it is largely unchecked by nature in North
America. The potential destructive effect will not only be the loss
of millions of dollars in revenue to farmers and producers but also
to the environment where the impact on animals that depend on the
prickly pear for food and shelter could potentially be enormous.
This is just another example of human stupidity and carelessness.
Prickly Pear Species:
Brazilian prickly pear, semaphore prickly pear, sour prickly pear,
California prickly pear, brownspined prickly pear, Tucson prickly
pear, Big Bend prickly pear, Graham's prickly pear, chenille prickly
pear, border prickly pear, golden prickly pear, Rio Grande prickly
pear, beavertail prickly pear, Trelease's beavertail prickly pear,
Chihuahua prickly pear, Chisos Mountain prickly pear, dollarjoint
prickly pear, searchlight prickly pear, grassland prickly pear,
erect prickly pear, Edwards' prickly pear, Texas prickly pear,
brittle prickly pear, violet prickly pear, tulip prickly pear,
arborescent prickly pear, coastal prickly pear, purple prickly pear,
twistspine prickly pear, common prickly pear, chaparral prickly
pear, tulip prickly pear, Pinkava's prickly pear, plains prickly
pear, El Paso prickly pear, grizzlybear prickly pear, Navajo Bridge
prickly pear, hairspine prickly pear, cockspur prickly pear, roving
prickly pear, blind prickly pear, blood-red prickly pear, Santa Rita
prickly pear, erect prickly pear, marblefruit prickly pear,
bell-flower prickly pear, woollyjoint prickly pear, elephantear
prickly pear, turban prickly pear, San Antonio prickly pear, Vasey's
coastal prickly pear, Wooton's prickly pear
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