Common Name: Nopal de San Gabriel

General Information

Opuntia tomentosa is a spiny, evergreen, succulent, shrubby to tree-like cactus with abundant branches and segmented stems; it can grow around 1 - 5 metres tall, with a short trunk that can be 10 - 30cm in diameter. Individual stem segments are around 10 - 30cm long[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of fuel. It is also grown as a living fence, where it acts as a boundary marker and barrier and is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].
Opuntia tomentosa is common, wide ranging, occurs within many protected areas, and has no major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].
The plant is often cultivated and has escaped and become naturalized in some countries including Spain, S. Africa and Australia.

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

Southern N. America - central and southern Mexico

Habitat

Quercus forests, xerophyllous scrub and grasslands; at elevations from 1,090 - 2,600 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. Of good quality, it has a sweet flavour[, ]. The obovoid to globose, red, pubescent, fruit is free of spines, around 35 - 52mm long and 25 - 40mm in diameter[].

Stem segments - raw or cooked[].
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[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is grown as a living fence in order to mark out boundaries and create a dense, prickly barrier[].

Other Uses

The plant is used as fuel for cooking etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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