Opuntia Garden
The genus Opuntia (Oh-pun-Tee-a) is perhaps the most recognized of all cacti mainly because of the flat paddle shaped stems or segments known as cladodes.
Opuntia Alta “Fruit Punch”
The Opuntia name originated and was first published by the English botanist, Phillip Miller in 1754. The genus Opuntia also has the widest distribution of all the cacti, from Canada extending south to Argentina.
The actual number of Opuntia species has been reduced by reclassification of many plants over the years creating other generic groups. Identification can be confusing because of varietal differences and hybridization. The fruit of the Opuntia are well known in Mexico as tunas and because of their tasty edible fruits, plants were eventually given the common name of "prickly pear". The Opuntia are well known for their tiny barbed spines known as glochids, and are often feared for irritating the skin.
