2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Opuntia (Latin Opuntia) - a genus of thorny plants of the Cactaceae family (Latin Cactaceae). There are about two hundred species in the genus Opuntia, being the largest plant community in the prickly Cactaceae family. Its juicy oval "palms" just ask for a person to enjoy their pulp. But do not rush to take advantage of the offer, because in addition to noticeable thorns on their surface there are many very thin and sharp needles, from which it is not easy to get rid of your hand outstretched for a treat. However, the natives of America have long been accustomed to the customs of Opuntia and willingly eat the delicacy, and also use its healing abilities to maintain health.
A resident of the American tropics
Although today representatives of the Cactus family can be found anywhere on our small planet, in the wild they appeared in the tropical territories of two American continents. Opuntia especially liked the Mexican land, where a good half of all species of the genus grow.
The first "written" evidence of the use of shoots, flowers and fruits of Opuntia by man for food dates back to the VIII-I centuries BC, when a civilization existed on the territory of the modern state called Peru, which entered the history of Mankind as the "Culture of Paracas".
Opuntia served not only as a human food product, but also as a source for obtaining the dye "carmine", famous for its red-purple hue. Paracas' craftswomen adorned fabrics with vibrant ornaments that are today considered the finest examples of pre-Columbian American Aboriginal art. Such fabrics served as clothing for burial mummies.
What's in your name
One of the names of the plant, by which the Aztecs, the aborigines of America, called it, is "nopalli", meaning "the tree on which the fruits grow."
As for the Latin name of the genus "Opuntia", it is based on the name of the city in Ancient Greece - "Opus". The ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus, who lived in the IV-III centuries BC, describing Opus, mentioned an edible plant that the inhabitants of the city propagated by rooting its leaves. It was this method of reproduction that was taken as the basis for the name of the genus, since Opuntia reproduces in a similar way. True, that part of the plant, which in Opuntia is called "leaves", in the botanical sense is not leaves.
Description
Rounded appetizing "cakes" Opuntia, which are usually called "leaves", are modified shoots of the plant. These shoots root very easily, grow quickly, forming an impressive bush, spectacular and very thorny. A hedge made of such bushes is a reliable protection against encroachments on your own territory.
If sharp prickly thorns, forming groups of several pieces on the body of cakes, are visible to the naked eye, and therefore you can somehow protect yourself from their warlike appearance, then it is unrealistic to dodge thin and small needles called "glochidia" without protective gloves … They are just waiting for the touch of a human hand to, like a wasp sting, dig into the skin. It is very difficult to extract them later.
Opuntia blooms with large showy flowers, the petals of which can be bright yellow or red. The green sepals form a very modest small cup, on which the corolla spreads its large petals. In the center of the flower, a green pistil stands out, surrounded by numerous stamens.
The pollinated flowers are replaced by green fruits, with their shape slightly similar to a pear, which gave rise to the name of Opuntia as "Prickly Pear". As they mature, they acquire an increasingly juicy purple color.
Under the thin skin of the fruit, there is a sweet and sour pulp and numerous bones. And the outer side of the skin, which at first glance seems smooth, is equipped with glochidia, ready to sacrifice themselves for the well-being of the plant, biting into anyone who wants to feast on the fruits. Therefore, the harvest is carried out in protective clothing.
Healing abilities
The pulp of ripe fruits is rich in vitamins, including vitamin "C", and therefore readily eaten by people and turtles.
The juicy "leaves" are edible too. Alcoholic drinks are also made from them. They also help fight pneumonia and measles.
The juice from the "leaves" helps to relieve inflammation on the skin, and also promotes faster wound healing.
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