Common Name:

General Information

Opuntia zamudioi is a spiny, succulent, shrubby cactus with segmented stems; it has an upright to spreading habit, growing up to 250cm tall. Individul stem segments are 20 - 26cm long and 13 - 15cm wide.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, the fruits often being traded in local markets. One of several sources of the popular Mexican fruit 'xoconostle'[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern N. America - central Mexico (Hidalgo, Querértaro)

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The mature fruit is persistent on the plant, it has been observed to remain on the cladodes for 12 months or more in edible condition[]

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit has a thick skin wirh a yellowish-orange coloured flesh that has an acid flavour, it is usually cooked and used as a vegetable and flavouring. A common recipe is to slice and mix xoconostles with tomatoes, onions and hot peppers. Adding diced xoconostle to salsas gives them a special zesty acidic flavour, whilst they can also be used as a base for refreshing drinks[]. The ellipsoid to pear-shaped fruit is around 50mm long and 25mm wide.

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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