Origin and characters

POWO identifies Mexico, specifically Oaxaca, as the native range of Opuntia ficus-indica. The species is widely cultivated and naturalised in other parts of the world. Earlier use of the name O. vulgaris in the literature requires consideration of its historically inconsistent application. [2-WWW]

The floristic description provided in POWO presents a shrub or small tree with an often distinct, cylindrical trunk. The flattened segments are elliptic to obovate, grey-green, usually with few long spines or none. The areoles retain yellow glochids. Flowers have a yellow or orange perianth, and the fleshy fruits vary in colour. [2-WWW]

CAM from the beginning of development

Seedlings were studied on days 30, 50, 75 and 100 after germination, with cotyledons and the first segment analysed separately. Three measures were used, the change in acidity between evening and dawn, carbon isotope composition and daily CO₂ exchange. Together, these data indicate a contribution from CAM in early development, increasing as the segment matures. [Niechayev et al. 2023]

Acidity differences between dawn and dusk became more pronounced with age. In the first segments, they reached statistical significance on days 75 and 100. The δ¹³C value of their tissues changed on average from −19,4‰ on day 30 to −14,5‰ on day 100. Interpretation rests on this signature together with the physiological measurements. [Niechayev et al. 2023]

From assimilate sink to source

The youngest segments showed a negative CO₂ exchange balance. Respiration released more gas than photosynthesis absorbed. Positive assimilation appeared with growth, with a large contribution from nocturnal uptake. In segments growing from an adult plant, assimilates supplied by the parent segment meet the initial needs of growth. [Niechayev et al. 2023]

Within the same organ, the nocturnal acid cycle can be detectable before a positive daily carbon balance is reached. Metabolic maturity and independence in carbon supply therefore describe different developmental stages. Measurements on seedlings and new growth of adult plants allowed both processes to be followed. [Niechayev et al. 2023]

Response to cold

Compared with more tolerant opuntias, O. ficus-indica showed a limited capacity to increase freezing tolerance. The comparative experiment from 1994 also analysed changes in sugars, osmotic pressure, mucilage and the unfrozen water fraction. These results describe the material and acclimation conditions used in the study. Clone provenance and the preceding temperature regime matter for the response of cultivated plants. [Goldstein and Nobel 1994]

Application studies

Experiments using material from this species are presented in the “Biotechnology and applications” section. Indicaxanthin in rat brain studies. [Allegra et al. 2015]

Materials from the author's archive

The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Schumann 1890, file p. 66, 72] [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 6, 7, 22, 23, 26, 55] [Romulski 2004c, file p. 28] [Kaktusy i Inne 2005c, file p. 13] [Flores Martínez and Manzanero Medina 2003, file p. 17] [Anonim b.d.r, file p. 17]

Synonyms and names in the literature

Cactus ficus-indica [2-WWW]