Common Name:

General Information

Opuntia soederstromiana is a spiny, evergreen, succulent, loosely-branched shrubby to tree-like cactus with segmented stems, it grows around 1 - 4 metres tall with trunks that can be 15cm in diameter. Individual stem segments are obovate to oblong, sometimes round, 16 - 50cm long and 8 - 20cm wide[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.
Opuntia soederstromiana is widely distributed and locally abundant, it occurs in many protected areas, and there are no major threats affecting it. 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

Northern S. America - Ecuador, Colombia

Habitat

Dry forests; at elevations from 1,000 - 3,500 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 small, juicy, red fruits are edible, though infrequently eaten[]. The deeply umbilicate, dark red fruits usually have spines or bristles; the fruits can be 30 - 60mm long and 25 - 40mm 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

The stem juice is used as an expectorant and to treat fevers and skin blemishes[].

The root is used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery[].

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[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is lesser, 17 or 71?