This speciesis treated as including Opuntia santa-rita (Griffiths & Hare) Rose (as per Hunt, D. (2016). CITES Cactaceae Checklist, ed. 3: 1-174. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.)

Common Name:

General Information

Opuntia gosseliniana is a spiny, evergreen, succulent shrubby or tree-like cactus with a short trunk; it can grow around 100 - 200cm tall[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Opuntia gosseliniana has a wide range, though it is sparsely distributed. However, it occurs in a variety of different habitats and there are no significant threats.The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids - these are barbed spines that are usually small to minute and are very sharp and brittle. The glochids are very easily dislodged when the plant is touched and can penetrate the skin where, because of their barbs, they become stuck and are very difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable irritation and discomfort[, ].
Opuntia species can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, especially in older parts of the plant. Perfectly alright in small quantities, foods containing oxalic acid should not be eaten in large amounts since it can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[, ].

Botanical References

,

Range

Southwest N. America - southern Arizona, northwest Mexico (Sonora)

Habitat

Desert scrub, coastal scrub, grasslands, oak woodlands, flats, slopes, sandy to rocky soils; at elevations from 700 - 1,600 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

In cultivation, Cactus plants generally will not succeed in moist climates. They usually require a sunny position in a well-drained, circumneutral soil and to be kept more or less dry in the dormant season[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The purplish, obovoid to barrel-shaped fruit is free of spines and has a green flesh; the fruit is around 25 - 45mm long and 20 - 30mm in diameter[].

The tender young stem segments of various species are often cooked as a vegetable[]. Known as ‘nopals’ in Mexico, where they are a common ingredient in numerous dishes, they can be eaten raw or cooked, used in marmalades, soups, stews and salads. The most commonly used species are Opuntia ficus-indica or Opuntia hyptiacantha (syn Opuntia matudae), although the stems of almost all Opuntia species are edible[, ].

Medicinal

We have no specific information on medicinal uses for this species, but the following notes are likely to apply universally to Opuntia species and other related genera[].

The flesh of tender young stem segments can be applied as a poultice to reduce inflammation[].
The mucilage and soluble fibre found in the flowers and stem segments have been shown to help control blood-sugar levels associated with adult-onset diabetes[].
There is clinical evidence that the soluble fibre in the stem segments helps reduce blood cholesterol levels[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -