Twisted spine prickly pear
Opuntia macrorhiza

Family: Cactaceae

What it is like

A low spreading cactus. It forms low clumps 13 cm high and 2 m wide. It has fleshy or woody roots. The stem segments are round and blue-green. They are 5-10 cm long by 5-6 cm wide. There are 1-6 spines per group. They are often bent backwards and are 3.8-5.6 cm long. The flowers are yellow and may be tinged with red. They are 5-6 cm long and 5-6 cm wide. The fruit are oval and purple or red. They are 2.5-4 cm long and 2.5-3 cm wide.

There are about 250 Opuntia species.

Where it is found

It grows in dry prairie. It grows on sand, gravel or rocky soils. It grows between 600-2,300 m altitude in California.

Countries/locations it is found in

Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw and also dried and boiled.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Delicate prickly pear, Pott's prickly pear, Starvation prickly pear, Tuberous-rooted prickly pear

Synonyms

Opuntia compressa var. macrorhiza (Engelm.) L. D. Benson; Opuntia cymochila Engelm. & J. M. Bigelow; Opuntia mackensenii Rose; Opuntia macrorhiza subsp. macrorhiza; and others