Common Name: Tuna

General Information

Opuntia tuna is a spiny, succulent, evergreen, shrubby cactus with spreading branches and segmented stems, it can grow about 1 metre tall. Individual stem segments are fairly small, obovate to oblong, 8 - 10cm long, exceptionally to 16cm[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit and young stems, which are eaten locally. The plant is also sometimes cultivated and is grown as a living fence to mark out boundaries and exclude grazing animals[, ].

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

Caribbean - Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica.

Habitat

Rocky or sandy waste places, gullies and scrubby thickets at elevations from sea level to 120 metres in Jamaica[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. Sweet and juicy, it is delicious to eat out of hand and can also be used to make ices, jams, jellies, cakes, sauces etc[]. The half-ripe fruit, when dried, has the flavour of green dried apples[]. The red, obovoid fruit is about 3cm long[].

The tender young stems are boiled and then used as a substitute for string beans in soups, stews, casseroles etc[].
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 to mark out boundaries and exclude grazing animals[].

Other Uses

Various parts of the plant are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations as skin, nail and hair conditioners[].

Propagation

Seed -

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