Description of cactus species Opuntia
Here you can find photos, names and descriptions of the Opuntia species, the most popular in the collections of cactusists.
New buds and spherical shoots can form on the berries. As a result, the long trunk turns out to be hung with elegant clusters of red and green balls - like a Christmas tree. Segments-balls cling to anything and easily leave the mother plant, so close communication with the most interesting Salmiana Opuntia is not the greatest pleasure.
Cactus growers, however, are more likely to breed this cactus as a rootstock. The listed Opuntia and related species grow well in the room during the growing season, good lighting, not very cold wintering (not lower than 10 ° C).
Breeders have bred decorative cultivars Opuntia monacanth - monstrose and variegated.
In fact, it is a powerful, proudly beautiful plant (in nature - a tree up to 3 m high) with thick cylindrical keletal (trunk and branches) and fleshy elliptical flattened lateral segments. Spines are hairy, chalky-white, constantly growing and therefore dense and long on perennial shoots. This Opuntia does not bloom in indoor conditions - it does not achieve the necessary development, but even without flowers it is an exceptionally beautiful plant.
Growing conditions for indoor austrocylindropuntia
This type of cactus is one of the easiest to grow. Not afraid of even short-term negative temperatures, austrocylindropuntia is hardly the only indoor succulent that responds well to temperature changes. Even to different lighting conditions, this cactus is able to adapt better than all its competitors.
Lighting and placement
Austrocylindropuntia is one of the most adaptive cacti. They are not at all afraid of the direct sun (even at noon on the southern windowsill), they can grow in bright and not very bright lighting.
Unlike most cacti, austrocylindropuntia adapts well to partial shade and can grow at a distance from the window under “medium” lighting conditions. Artificial supplementary lighting for a plant is not the best option, but gardens of succulents and florariums with a plant can also be placed in the interior of bright rooms.
If the plants grow in partial shade, and also after wintering in not too bright light, it is better to adapt the plants to the direct rays of the sun gradually.
Changes in color and growth rates in plants are the main landmarks when looking for a place somewhat distant from the window. Until the austrocylindropuntium begins to fade or stops growing, the lighting should be considered quite comfortable.
A prolonged lack of light and ignoring the first symptoms in development can turn into stretching of the shoots, their thinning, fragile and painful appearance. Plants that have lost their compactness do not recover, but they do not die either.
If you want to achieve flowering in austrocylindropuntia, at the budding stage it is very important not to change the light intensity and avoid turning the pots in relation to the light source.
Temperature control and ventilation
One of the most capricious cacti can grow in almost any conditions. They are not afraid of ordinary living rooms or cool offices. There is no optimal growing range other than the requirement to keep to reasonable limits.
During the period of active development, in summer, these plants reach the greatest decorative effect and growth rates at an air temperature of 21 to 27 degrees, but austrocylindropuntia will not be afraid of the heat.
For the rest period, a low temperature for austrocylindropuntium is not at all necessary.Short-term frosts (up to -3 ° C), lowering up to 4-5 degrees for a long time, resistance to cold drafts and drops allow you to leave austrocylindropuntia to winter where it turns out.
In medium-cool or room temperatures, of course, the plant will do better than in extreme temperatures. The optimal wintering regime is considered to be a temperature of about 5-12 degrees Celsius, but such recommendations are more likely to apply to large cylindrical species and varieties, which usually stretch out during warm wintering. Cristates are also more decorative in cold weather.
Austrocylindropuntia love fresh air and do not feel very well indoors. These cacti can not only be taken out into the fresh air for the summer, but also dripped in pots in the garden or displayed on terraces or areas protected from precipitation. Austrocylindropuntia can stay in the fresh air from May to October - as soon as night temperatures rise to an average of 8-10 degrees and until they drop to 7-8 degrees.
Cylindrical austrocylindropuntia (Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica). World of succulents
Interesting facts about the Galapagos prickly pear
How the prickly pear got to Australia is not known for certain. Most likely, she was brought and planted near the house by one of the colonists. The hedge grew rapidly, birds flocked to feast on the fruits, and by the 1920s, young prickly pears flooded Australian pastures. History repeated itself at least three times, because among the newly appeared weeds there were three types of cacti: straight prickly pear (O. inermis), common and large prickly pear.
While eating the plant, cows and sheep often died due to inflammation of the digestive system caused by tiny thorns. Attempts to cut down a dangerous cactus led to the fact that it grew even more, even herbicides did not take it. Finally, in 1925, the eggs of the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum), a South American butterfly whose caterpillars feed on prickly pear, were brought to Australia. It took the insect 12 years to reduce the plant's population to a harmless size. As a token of gratitude, a monument was erected in the city of Dalby to the fireworks.
The coat of arms and flag of Mexico depicts a prickly pear, on which an eagle sits with a snake in its beak. According to legend, this was a divine sign that helped the Aztecs choose a place for their capital. It was named Tenochtitlan - the city of sacred prickly pears.
In general, the disappearance of the Galapagos prickly pear is not threatened, its number has stabilized. However, some local populations are declining under the influence of unfavorable factors. These include the development of agriculture in the Galapagos Islands, urban sprawl and feral livestock that feed on young shoots.
Opuntia grows easily, undemanding to the soil, so it easily conquers vast territories.
Interesting Facts
The Mexican Indians have a legend that the ancient Aztec state of Tenochtitlan was founded on the place where a large shrub of the prickly pear genus grew. At that time, the Aztecs did not have their own settlement and wandered in the mountains. Once they saw a cactus on which an eagle was sitting, having dealt with a large snake. This was interpreted by the leader as a good sign, and the Indians decided to found a city on this place. Now there is modern Mexico City (the capital of Mexico).
In the Sicilian province, a festival dedicated to prickly pears is held annually. It is celebrated in October when the harvest has already been harvested. The village is decorated with garlands, food stalls are erected. The main treat is the berries of the plant, but there are many other delicacies as well. You can taste delicious prickly pear liqueur, try different dishes from the queen of the holiday. In conclusion, fireworks are arranged.
Popular signs say that prickly pear in the house protects from the evil eye, attacks from ill-wishers. If the plant is placed on a windowsill or a table, then the sorcerers will not be able to damage the owner.And according to modern concepts, cacti neutralize electromagnetic radiation emanating from a computer, TV, etc.
There is also such a sign that prickly pear in the house is a sign of divorce. The plant attracts lovers with its energy and brings the relationship to decay. In the Middle Ages, ladies used this ability to eliminate a bored spouse. There is also an opinion that the cactus lives well in families where scandals and quarrels are frequent.
However, you should not blindly believe in prejudice. Passion for cacti indicates the unusual nature, love for everything extraordinary. Blooming prickly pears are a wonderful interior decoration that creates a positive mood for all households.
What does it look like
Opuntia is a tree-like shrub with straight or flat branches creeping along the ground. The branches look like segmented flattened segments. The stems can be up to three meters in height. The trunk of such plants is the same as that of trees: covered with bark, with a diameter of up to 40 cm. The trunk is short, mainly the prickly pear consists of strongly branching fleshy segments - cladodia, which are modified leaves. The segments are elliptical, usually light green in color.
A distinctive feature of prickly pears is the presence of glochidia. These are sharp, hard spines with teeth. They grow on the surface of the reduced leaves and around the areoles - the buds of the cactus. Buds are formed from the buds during the flowering period. All prickly pear flowers are similar in structure and shape - large, with a large number of petals, bright shades. The color range varies from yellow to red, violet, purple. Plants of the prickly pear species are very diverse. They can be of different shapes, sizes, shades, but they all have a similar structure.
What does a prickly pear cactus look like and a photo of its fruits
Most Opuntia are of little use for indoor culture due to their large size, dangerous thorns, low decorative effect, or high requirements for keeping conditions.
However, among these succulents there are several species that are popular with cactus growers and are not difficult to cultivate.
For us, Opuntia are exotic, ornamental plants, and in their homeland they are one of the most common and rather annoying plants. In the most diverse regions of the Americas, thickets of Opuntia are found everywhere. They are completely impassable because of the sharp strong thorns sticking out in all directions and the all-pervading glochidia. Moreover, even the thorns of segments that have long dried and fallen to the ground are dangerous: they pierce the soles of shoes.
But these massive plants are not only dangerous in places of their natural growth, they play a significant role in the life of the local population. Young shoots of this succulent have long been used in cooking (raw and fried), large and juicy fruits are tasty and nutritious, and in some species they have a delicate, refined taste.
Opuntia are also very important as a pasture fodder plant. True, thorns are a huge obstacle in this, but, firstly, local cattle somehow adapt to overcome this obstacle, and secondly, American researchers identify the most suitable forms for pastures and develop special varieties.
3. Varieties:
3.1. Opuntia fig or Indian - Opuntia ficus-indica
A large cactus with a height of 1.5 to 3 m. In natural conditions, it can reach 5 m. In adult plants, they form a strong trunk. On the trunk are oblong - oval, flattened, thick, fleshy, green leaves from 30 to 60 cm long with small areoles. The leaves have short, thick, straight thorns. The flowers are bright, yellow, orange, sometimes red. The plant has juicy, edible fruits - berries that turn red when ripe and reach a length of 8 cm. According to various sources, the fruits of this cactus have been eaten for 9000 years.
3.2. Opuntia small-haired or microdasis - Opuntia microdasys
A very attractive cactus with rounded or oblong oval green segments. Segments are thick, fleshy, covered with closely spaced areoles. Each halo is capable of bearing many short, white or yellow spines. Young leaves are often burgundy in color. In spring or early summer, lemon-yellow flowers up to 5 cm in diameter appear on the plant. Unfortunately, this cactus does not bloom often in room culture. When pollinated, prickly pears form purple or reddish fruits up to 5 cm long
Despite its attractive appearance, it is worth handling this cactus carefully - its small spines dig into the skin and remain in the form of splinters.
3.3. Opuntia Berger - Opuntia bergeriana
A large shrub cactus up to 4.5 m high with oblong - oval, green, thick leaves, each of which can reach a length of 40 cm. In the warm season, the plant forms bright red flowers. These cacti bloom even at a fairly young age. Leaf segments have sparse areoles with long, pinkish or orange, strong, straight spines.
3.6 Opuntia monacantha
Abundantly branched shrub like here with back - ovoid or oblong - lanceolate green, thick leaves 10 to 35 cm long and 8 to 12 cm wide.Areoles are located on the leaves, each of which bears from 1 to 3 yellow, reddish or brown thorns ... K flowers are large - with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm, yellow. When pollinated, the plants form reddish, fleshy, juicy fruits up to 6 cm long.
Among the plants of this variety, there are often specimens of variegated prickly pear - Opuntia monacantha var. variegata.
3.8. Opuntia robusta - Opuntia robusta
A very large shrub cactus, a distinctive feature of which is the presence of round or back - ovoid, green or bluish - green, thick leaves. The diameter of each leaf can reach 50-60 cm. The leaves bear sparsely located halos with large - up to 7 cm long, light, straight thorns. During the flowering period, yellow flowers are abundantly formed on the upper surface of the leaves, which, when pollinated, turn into burgundy fruits covered with a bluish bloom. The fruits are considered edible, but due to the fact that they do not have a pronounced taste, they are used for feeding animals.
3.9. White-haired Opuntia -Opuntia leucotricha
A beautiful cactus that is used in Mexico as animal feed or human food. It is a shrub or even small trees with a height of 3 to 5 m. With age, the plants form trunks covered with long white bristles, for which it got its name. Leaves are emerald green, oblong-oval, thick, bear dense areoles with long, straight thorns. Young, newly emerging leaves often have a lighter shade. The flowers are lemon yellow and appear at the top of the leaves. The fruits are fragrant, yellow or red, with a pleasant taste.
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How prickly pear cactus reproduces
Culture propagation is carried out in two ways: by seeds and cuttings.
Cactus seeds are grown less often. They, which are in a hard shell, are removed by sawing it. Or the shell is treated with sandpaper, a file so that the seeds can germinate. For sterility, they are kept for 10 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, and the soil, consisting of sheet earth, coarse sand and crushed charcoal, is evaporated in the oven.
The pot is covered with foil and placed at a temperature of 20 degrees. Periodically, the film is opened for spraying and removing condensation. When the seeds sprout, they are dived into shallow containers and kept in good light, but without direct sun exposure. Within 2 years, the sprouts are grown under these conditions, then transplanted into the soil for adult prickly pears.
Prickly pear seeds
The vegetative method is used at any time of the year in a warm room temperature. The stalk is cut from the shoot, dried in an upright position for 1-3 days, until a film forms on the cut. Then they are planted in the ground, previously calcined in the oven, deepening by 3 cm. For this, a substrate for cacti, sand is suitable. The stalk is placed under the film at a room temperature of 20-22 degrees, the soil is regularly ventilated and moistened, opening the film. After rooting, they are transplanted into the soil for an adult plant.
The stalk may not show signs of growth for a long time, but with the onset of spring and over the summer it quickly transforms into a bush. The cactus will bloom next year.
Propagation of prickly pear by cuttings
Beneficial features
Opuntia is not only a cactus, but also a very useful plant. It contains a huge amount of useful elements and vitamins. For example, stems contain amino acids, protein, starch, and more. From the vitamin group, we can note the presence of vitamins A, B (1,2,3) and C.
Not only the stems contain a lot of useful things, but also the fruits of Opuntia. They are tasty, juicy, and rich in phosphorus, magnesium, protein and calcium, as well as glucose.
Thanks to all this, many medicines are produced from Opuntia that help fight various diseases, for example, disorders of the central nervous system, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes. In addition, with the help of Opuntia, people successfully fight obesity, skin diseases, rheumatism, etc.
In addition to medicines, glue, oil (something like sunflower or olive), detergents and cleaning products, as well as various cosmetics, which, by the way, are not so cheap, are made from Opuntia.
What a useful plant!
Possible growing problems and diseases
Due to improper care of prickly pears, diseases and pests can appear. Some problems can be noticed and cured at the initial stages. However, there are diseases that are almost invisible in the early stages of manifestation. Such ailments, as a rule, lead to the complete destruction of the plant.
For your information! Waterlogging of the soil or an acute lack of sunlight can cause blackening of segments and stems, as well as their subsidence.
Succulent diseases
Pests
Mealybugs, scale insects and aphids deliver big problems and harm to the flower. They are located on dense segments of the bush and suck out its juices. Insects are fought by treating the plant with insecticides. However, in the initial stages, it is enough to use folk methods, such as soap solution or potassium permanganate.
Diseases
Often, prickly pears develop stem rot, due to which dark brown spots appear on the shoots. To save the flower, it is necessary to remove the affected areas. The soil must also be disinfected, for this it is treated with a mixture of carbendazim.
general information
A characteristic feature of most prickly pears are flat branches growing in different directions in the form of numerous irregularly shaped fleshy ovals, dotted with two types of spines sticking out of the axillary buds-area. The first ones are hard, well visible, reaching 7 cm in length in some species, have a light color. The second spines are also light, but thin, like cobwebs.
Despite the scanty thickness, glochidia bring a lot of inconvenience to everyone who, through carelessness or inexperience, decides to touch the "fluff" of plants. Since each "hair" is equipped with more than one tiny hook that easily digs into the skin
Depending on the type and combination of external factors, prickly pears develop in the form of a creeping plant, bushy or tree-like. Most representatives of the species bloom after reaching the age of ten.
When kept at home, only the owners are waiting for the appearance of buds, taking green wards outside or growing them in the open field.
Under favorable conditions, flower buds appear on prickly pears from mid-spring. The alternate blooming of groups of large yellow, red, sometimes white flowers can occur until September. In place of the faded buds, "cones" of the same color as the whole plant are formed. Increasing in size, the fruits become red-burgundy, lilac-brown, yellow-brown.
When growing prickly pears at home, it is recommended to prepare soil from sod and leafy soils, where sand and clay well dried in the sun are added. Soil ratio: 1: 2: 1: 1. It is useful for young sprouts to mix charcoal into the soil. When transplanting mature plants into the soil, it is recommended to add a small amount of old plaster.
The value and application of prickly pear cactus
Large representatives of the prickly pear genus in regions where there is no frost are grown in open ground, small ones are bred as indoor plants.
In the collections of cactus growers, one can often see the fine-haired prickly pear (O. microdasys). From prickly pears (O. ficusindica), common (O. vulgaris) and large prickly pears (O. macrocantha), original and impassable hedges are obtained.
The fig prickly pear is grown as an agricultural plant in India, the Mediterranean countries and South America. Sweet and sour fruits are eaten raw or made into jam, candied fruits are made, added to meat dishes, and used in the production of Baytra pink Maltese liqueur. Young shoots are pickled, dried and harvested for livestock feed, after having scorched the thorns with fire. The Aztecs extracted red paint from the flowers of some types of prickly pear.
Flowering time
The prickly pears are covered with flower buds from mid-April. Farmers caring for commercially grown prickly pears thin out the buds so that the resulting fruits are larger and juicier. Flowering ends by September.
For flowering, prickly pear must ripen and reach the size specific for its species. Bud formation most often occurs at the upper edge of the segments. More than five flowers sometimes "blaze" on one segment. "Leaves" of large varieties of plants are often crowned with dozens of buds.
The flowers of prickly pears are kept on V-shaped spiny legs. The petals in the buds are arranged in one, two or three rows. The color of flowers depends on the type of plant and can be white, yellow of varying degrees of saturation, orange-yellow, carmine-red, pinkish-lilac. In the middle of the buds there are several rows of sensitive stamens, curling up when touched. Pistils of the same color with stamens or yellowish-lime.
How does the prickly pear cactus bloom? See the photo with the prickly pear flower.
