Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.

Erect shrub to 5 m high and 8 m wide, older plants with well-developed trunk to 1.2 m high and 1 m diam. Stem segments firmly attached, narrowly to broadly obovate or oblong, compressed, not tuberculate, 20–60 cm long, 10–40 cm wide, 20–50 mm thick,­ light green, grey-green to glaucous, dull, glabrous. Areoles 30–75 per stem segment face, 20–50 mm apart, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 3–4 mm long, 1–2.5 mm wide, with wool creamish. Leaves succulent, terete, conical or elongate-conical, 3–5 mm long, caducous. Spines variable, or usually 1 or 2 (3) per areole on scattered areoles or near margins of stem segment, usually subappressed and reflexed, slender, pliable, 4–19 mm long, 0.5–0.7 mm wide at base, with 0–2 small bristle-like reflexed spines to 5 mm long, or spines 3–9 per areole on most areoles, spreading, rigid, the longer spines to 41 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide at base, not barbed, narrowly elliptic (mostly near base of spine) to subterete in cross section, straight, not barbed, usually white, off-white or occasionally creamish. Glochids along adaxial margin of areole, small, inconspicuous tuft, 0.5–1.5 mm long, yellowish, ageing brown, mostly absent from older stem segments. Flowers 50–90 mm diam.; outer tepals yellow with reddish or green midrib, succulent broadly-cuneate to obdeltoid or ovate, to 20 mm long, the apex acute or truncate, entire or denticulate; inner tepals yellow to orange; spreading, obovate or cuneate, 25–30 mm long, 15–20 mm wide, the apex truncate or obtuse with a short mucro, entire; staminal filaments pale yellow, anthers pale yellow; style white to pale pinkish, stigma lobes pale green; pericarpel (at anthesis) tuberculate, areoles close set, with a few setaceous spines to c. 10 mm long, as well as glochids. Fruit solitary, persistent for several months, ovoid, ellipsoid or barrel-shaped, 50–90 mm long, 40–90 mm diam., tuberculate, umbilicus shallow, areoles close set, spineless or with scattered, weak, deciduous spines, occasionally with longer spines, the fruit yellow, orange, red or carmine at maturity in different cultivars, succulent and juicy, edible. Seeds suborbicular, 4–5 mm long, warped, pale tan.

It is native to Mexico. It suits drier places. It needs full sunlight. It needs a temperature above 10°C. It is grown in tropical and subtropical areas. It can grow in arid places. It grows naturally on sandy sea shores. In East Africa it grows below 1,700 m altitude. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

The ripe fruit are eaten. Dried fruit are used in sweetmeats. They are also used for jams, jellies and wines. The young stems are used as a vegetable or in pickles. The fermented pulp is mixed with flour and nuts to make and Italian dish. The pulp of the fruit without seeds is prepared as a sauce for pasta. They are also stewed or dried for later use. The green fruit and tender shoots are cooked in curries. They can be eaten in soups and stews to add a mucilaginous character. The segments and fruit can be flamed to remove the spines and hairs.

Plants are grown from stem pads. They can grow easily from sections which fall onto the ground. Plants can be grown from seeds, by division of the roots or by planting segments.