Common Name: Quimilo

General Information

Opuntia quimilo is a spiny, evergreen, succulent, much-branched tree-like cactus with a distinct trunk and segmented stems; it can grow up to 4 metres tall. Individual stem segments are large,elliptical to obovate, up to 50cm long, 25cm wide and 2 - 3cm thick[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local uase as a food.
Opuntia quimilo is widespread and abundant, and there are no major threats affecting it. It is favoured by anthropogenic activities, such as livestock grazing, because it is dispersed by animals. It also occurs in many protected areas.The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

Species in this genus generally have 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[, ].This species, however, is said to be free of glochids[].
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

S. America - northern Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia

Habitat

Xrophilous Chacoan forest, growing in sandy soils, also found alkaline and saline soils; at elevations from 500 - 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The fruit pulp and seed mass are edible after removing the skin[]. The pear-shaped to globose, greenish yellow fruit is 50 - 70mm long[].

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 -

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