Nopalea cochenillifera

(Linnaeus) Salm-Dyck

Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1849, 64. 1850.

Common names: Nopal chamacuero cochineal nopal cactus tunita
IntroducedIllustrated
Basionym: Cactus cochenilliferus Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 468. 1753 (as cochenillifer)
Synonyms: Opuntia cochenillifera (Linnaeus) Miller
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 149. Mentioned on page 144.

Shrubs or trees to 4–5 m; trunks 15–20 cm diam. Stem segments linear to narrowly obovate, sometimes slightly falcate, (10–)15–35(–50) × 5–15 cm; areoles 2–3+ cm apart, 2–5 mm diam.; wool tawny, whitening with age. Spines usually absent or 1(–3), particularly on older pads, straight or curved, brown, aging gray, stout, to 2 cm. Glochids inconspicuous. Flowers 4–7 cm; inner tepals spatulate; crowded pink filaments and white style much longer than tepals, to 15 mm; nectar chamber elliptic to obconic. Fruits ellipsoid, 25–40 × 20–25 mm; areoles well distributed. Seeds tan to gray, 3–5 × 1.5–3 mm, slightly pubescent. 2n = 22 (Mexico, Puerto Rico as an escape).


Phenology: Flowering winter (Sep–Mar).
Habitat: Hammocks, fields, sandy soils
Elevation: 0 m

Distribution

V4 290-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; Fla., Mexico, West Indies (Cuba, Puerto Rico), Central America (Panama).

Discussion

The stem segments, or pads, of Nopalea cochenillifera are used as food, fodder, and poultices, and for rearing cochineal insects to obtain a red dye (once a major industry). This species may have been selected for spinelessness in Mexico, much like Opuntia ficus-indica, to ease the culturing and collection of cochineal scale insects for red dye.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Nopalea cochenillifera"
Donald J. Pinkava +
(Linnaeus) Salm-Dyck +
Cactus cochenilliferus +
Nopal chamacuero +, cochineal nopal cactus +  and tunita +
Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies (Cuba +, Puerto Rico) +  and Central America (Panama). +
Hammocks, fields, sandy soils +
Flowering winter (Sep–Mar). +
Cact. Hort. Dyck. +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
Opuntia cochenillifera +
Nopalea cochenillifera +
species +