Opuntia erinacea
Engelm.&Bigelow.
Cactaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Mojave Prickly Pear
General Information
Opuntia erinacea is a Evergreen Perennial up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.
Known Hazards
The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids (hairs) that are easily dislodged when the plant is touched and they then become stuck to the skin where they are difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable discomfort[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
South-western N. America.
Habitat
Gravelly rocky soil under dry conditions in creosote bush scrub, pinyon-juniper and joshua tree woodland, chaparral and yellow pine forest at elevations of 800 - 2800 metres[
276- Title
- Flora of California
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.calflora.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line database of the Californian flora, giving details on plant habitats and photos of the plants.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating |   |
Habit | Evergreen Perennial |
Height | 0.50 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a sandy or very well-drained soil[
160- Title
- Wonder Crops. 1987.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Natural Food Institute,
- Publisher
-
- Year
-
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants must be kept fairly dry in the winter but they like a reasonable supply of water in the growing season[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. A position at the base of a south-facing wall or somewhere that can be protected from winter rain is best for this plant. Requires warmth and plenty of sun. Plants tolerate considerable neglect.
This species is fairly cold tolerant and can succeed outdoors in a selected site in the milder areas of the country[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The sub-species O. erinacea ursina is not hardy[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Closely related to O. polyacantha[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[
3- Title
- Growing Unusual Fruit.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Simmons. A. E.
- Publisher
- David & Charles; Newton Abbot.
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-7153-5531-7
- Description
- A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.
,
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. Sweet and gelatinous[
85- Title
- Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Harrington. H. D.
- Publisher
- University of New Mexico Press
- Year
- 1967
- ISBN
- 0-8623-0343-9
- Description
- A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
]. Lean and insipid[
95- Title
- Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Saunders. C. F.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- 0-486-23310-3
- Description
- Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
]. The unripe fruits can be added to soups etc, imparting an okra-like mucilaginous quality[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The fruit can hang on the plant all year round[
160- Title
- Wonder Crops. 1987.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Natural Food Institute,
- Publisher
-
- Year
-
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.
]. Be careful of the plants irritant hairs, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pads - cooked or raw[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The following notes are for O. ficus indica. They almost certainly also apply to this species[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or can be mixed with oil to make candles[
64- Title
- Vegetable Gums and Resins.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Howes. F. N.
- Publisher
- Faber
- Year
-
- ISBN
- 81-88818-17-8
- Description
- A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
,
207- Title
- The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Coffey. T.
- Publisher
- Facts on File.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-8160-2624-6
- Description
- A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
]. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls[
92- Title
- Early Uses of Californian Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Balls. E. K.
- Publisher
- University of California Press
- Year
- 1975
- ISBN
- 0-520-00072-2
- Description
- A nice readable book.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter.
Cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.
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