Botanical identity
A cactus whose pads and fruit are used as food.
KingdomPlantae
Phylum / divisionTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyCactaceae
GenusOpuntia
Scientific name with authorshipOpuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.
Curated parts indexedPads and fruit
Indexed scientific synonyms
Cactus chinensis Roxb.Cactus decumanus Willd. ex Schltr.Cactus ficus Thunb.Cactus ficus-indica L.Cactus opuntia Guss.Cactus opuntia L.Cactus opuntia var. ficus-indica (L.) DC.Cactus opuntia var. latifolius RissoOpuntia apurimacensis (F.Ritter) R.Crook & MottramOpuntia arcei CárdenasOpuntia castillae GriffithsOpuntia chinensis (Roxb.) K.KochOpuntia cordobensis Speg.Opuntia cordodensis Speg.Opuntia ficus-indica f. reticulata Backeb.Opuntia ficus-indica var. elongata SchelleOpuntia ficus-indica var. saboten MakinoOpuntia fusicaulis GriffithsOpuntia glaucophylla var. laevior Salm-DyckOpuntia incarnadilla GriffithsOpuntia joconostle F.A.C.Weber ex DiguetOpuntia labouretiana Console, 1898Opuntia leiascheinvariana Martínez-Gonz. & GallegosOpuntia leucostata J.ForbesOpuntia leucosticta H.L.Wendl.Opuntia maxima Salm-DyckOpuntia maxima Salm-Dyck ex DC.Opuntia megacantha Salm-DyckOpuntia megacantha var. tenuispina Salm-DyckOpuntia mexicana Pfeiff.Opuntia obovata GriffithsOpuntia opuntia (L.) H.Karst.Opuntia opuntia (L.) J.M.Coult.Opuntia paraguayensis K.Schum.Opuntia robusta var. megacantha (Salm-Dyck) SchelleOpuntia tribuloides GriffithsOpuntia tuna-blanca Speg.Opuntia undosa GriffithsOpuntia undulata GriffithsPlatyopuntia apurimacensis F.RitterPlatyopuntia cordobensis (Speg.) F.RitterPlatyopuntia ficus-indica (L.) F.Ritter
Documented use categories
Medicine
Human food
Animal food
Environmental use
Fuel
Gene source
Material
Social use
These categories describe the kinds of human-use reports attached to the taxon in the source checklist. Multiple categories can coexist; a plant may be recorded as both food and poison, depending on part, preparation and context.
How to interpret this record
Traditional and practical context
Traditional and practical context is preparation-specific. A documented use category is not proof of clinical effectiveness.
Evidence boundary
Evidence must be assessed by exact species, plant part, preparation, route, dose and health question.
Safety boundary
Confirm botanical identity, plant part, route, dose, medicines, allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding and age before use.
Dataset record and provenance
DatasetWCUPS 2020
LicenceCC BY 4.0
Name sourceIPNI
IPNI / external identifier1151735-2
Use codesAF EU FU GS HF MA ME SU
Crop wild relativeNo
Contributing checklist sources
Kew Economic Botany CollectionUSDA GRINMedicinal Plant Names Services v8.2Plant Resources for Tropical AfricaUseful Plant ProjectUseful Plants of West Tropical AfricaMalaria and Fever in Latin America
Read the full dataset citation, licence and import methodology →
!Educational index, not a treatment recommendation
The presence of a taxon in this database does not provide a diagnosis, dose, formulation or assurance of safety. Some indexed plants are toxic, regulated, endangered or unsafe in specific life stages.