Common Name: Drooping Prickly Pear

General Information

Opuntia monacantha is a succulent, evergreen shrubby or tree-like plant with several branches and painfully sharp spines 1 - 5cm long[]. The plant grows 1 - 3 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and as a hair wash[]. It has been cultivated as an ornamental in various, mainly drier areas of the tropics and subtropics, where it has escaped from cultivation and become a noxious weed in many of these areas[].
Opuntia monacantha is widespread and abundant, especially outside of Brazil. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

The plant has long, sharp spines[].
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

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Range

S. America - northern and eastern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, eastern and southern Brazil.

Habitat

Dry sites in agricultural areas, coastland and disturbed soils[]. A southern humid/subhumid forest element: found in sand-dunes in open carrasco, and open restinga near sea level, sea level up to around 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of drier areas in the tropics and subtropics.

The plant has escaped from cultivation and become a noxious weed in many areas[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw, cooked or preserved[416,1438]. A succulent pulp with a slightly sweet flavour[]. Not highly appreciated[]. The reddish purple, pear-shaped, fleshy fruits are 50 - 75mm long and 40 - 50mm in diameter[, ].

Young stem segments - peeled then cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].
A slimy mash obtained from the stem segments is used in cooking[].
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

A slimy mash obtained from the stem segments is used as a medicine[]. No further details.

We have no further 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[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has been cultivated for the purpose of enriching the soil and preventing the evaporation of moisture[]. The plants tendency to escape from cultivation and become a weed make using it in this way unwise in all areas other than its native range[].

Other Uses

A slimy mash obtained from the stem segments is used as a hair wash[].

Propagation

Seed -
Stem cuttings.

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