Prickly peartree

The prickly peartree , also called fig tree of India , is a Plante of the family of the Cactacée S, originating in the Mexico, which was naturalized in other continents, in particular the Mediterranean circumference and in South Africa. It produces a edible Fruit called Prickly pear.

Scientific name: Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Millet., family of the Cactacée S, subfamily of the Opuntioideae , tribe of the Opuntieae .

Vernacular names: prickly peartree, fig tree of India, nopal, opuntia, racket.

The plant was named by Carl von Linné: Cactus ficus-indica .

Description

It is an arborescent plant which can reach from 3 to 5 meters in height. Its organization in Cladode S, usually called “rackets”, is particular. The cladodes are modified stems of form flattened, from 30 to 40 cm length on 15 to 25 cm broad and from 1,5 to 3 cm thickness. Linked the ones with the others, they tend to form branches. Those of the base lignify to form beyond the fourth year of growth a true trunk.

These cladodes provides the chlorophyllian function the place of the sheets, and is covered with a cerous Cuticule (the Cutine), which limits perspiration and protects them from the predatory ones.

The Feuille S have a conical form and have only a few millimetres length. They appear on the young cladodes and are transitory.

At the base of the sheets the areola S are (approximately 150 by cladode) which are modified buds axillaires, typical of Cactacées. Their Méristème, according to the cases, produces spines and Glochide S, or emits adventitious roots, new cladodes or Fleur S. to note that even the ovary and thus the fruit are covered with areolas likely to again emit flowers or roots.

The spine S themselves, blanchâtres, sclerified, firmly established, are long from 1 to 2 cm. There exist inermes varieties, without spines.

The Glochide S, fine spines of a few millimetres, brownish color, are taken down easily, but provided with tiny scales in the shape of hooks are established firmly in the skin and are very difficult to withdraw. They break easily when one seeks to remove them. They are always present including in the inermes varieties.

The apparatus racinaire is surface, concentrating in the first 30 centimetres of the ground, but on the other hand very wide.

The flowers are with ovary infère, unilocular. The Pistil is surmounted by a multiple Stigmate. The cheesecloth S are very numerous. The not very apparent Sepal S and the quite visible Petal S of orange yellow color.

The flowers are different in general on one year old cladode, generally on the areolas located at the top of the cladode or on the face most exposed to the sun. In theory, only one flower appears in each areola. The young flowers carry transitory sheets characteristic of the species. A fertile cladode can carry to about thirty flowers, but this number varies enormously according to the position of the cladode on the plant, its exposure, and also according to physiological factors (nutrition).

The fruit, or Prickly pear, is a bay fleshy, unilocular, with many Graine S (polyspermic) whose weight can vary from 150 to 400 G. It derives from the adherent ovary infère to the floral receptacle. Certain authors regard it as false a Arille. Its color is variable according to the varieties: yellow, red, white… The form is also very variable, not only according to the varieties but also according to the time of formation: the first are rounded, latest more have the lengthened shape of stalk. The number of seeds is very high; about 300 for a fruit of 160 G.

Distribution

The species is originating in the Mexico, besides where it is called “ nopal ” and is reproduced on the emblem of the Mexican flag. It was unknown in Europe before the voyages of Christophe Colomb. It was described in a precise way for the first time in 1535 by the Spaniard Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo there Valdés in its Histoire of the Western Indies . Its strange morphology struck the first conquistadors. In addition to the fruits, it is the breeding of the cochineal which drew especially their attention, but the breeding of the latter to the Canary islands was successful only at the XIXe century. It was spread initially in the botanical gardens like curiosity. Naturally, the prickly peartree reproduces by vegetative multiplication (vs sexuée reproduction).

It was diffused quickly in the basin of the the Mediterranean and was naturalized there at the point to become an element characteristic of the landscape. Its diffusion is due as much to the man (who embarked cladodes as anti-scorbutic food ) that with the Oiseau X which by eating the fruits ensure the dispersion of seeds. It was also spread in the southern hemisphere, in particular in South Africa, in Madagascar, with the Meeting and the Mauritius, in India and with Ceylon, like in Australia. In the majority of these countries, it was truly a infestation and only the biological Lutte, by the introduction of parasitic insects like the butterfly Cactoblastis cactorum and the cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae could come to end in the years 1920-1925.

Nowadays the plant is cultivated in many countries, in particular: Mexico, the United States, Chile, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, Italy (Sicily)…

Culture

The prickly peartree is cultivated mainly for the production of fruits. One also cultivates it for the productions of nopalitos (young cladodes consumed like vegetables in Mexico, or marginally for the breeding of the cochineal Dactylopius coccus , for the production of a red dye, in the Canary islands.

It is also cultivated in Tunisia, primarily in the area of Kairouan, and very consumed during the summer. It is known for its " effect; bloquant" on digestion.

It requires a hot climate and a quite sunny exposure. He prefers a filtering ground and well drained, of neutral pH

The multiplication can be done either by Semis, or by Bouture, on the basis of cladode old from one to two years.

The size, to carry out in spring or at the end of the summer, is used for empécher the contact between the cladodes, as to eliminate those which are malformés or damaged.

To improve the output, it is convenient to bring a fertilization phospho-potassic, preferably organic.

In irrigated culture, one can obtain an output from 250 to 300 quintals of fruits to the hectare.

The range of the varieties in culture is limited in substance to three Cultivar S which differ by coloring from the fruit: yellow ( Sulfarina ), white ( Muscaredda ) and red ( Sanguigna ). The cultivar Sulfarina is most widespread in Italy for its greater capacity to produce with the methods of intensive culture. The tendency in general is to integrate the culture of the three cultivars, so as to provide to the market a product characterized by its chromatic diversity.

Use

The prickly peartree is a very useful plant for the arid areas. Its uses are multiple:

Human consumption

Production of fruits (prickly pears)
Derivative products: very nutritive oils or macérats containing flowers or of fruits for the skin.

The fruits and flowers are gorged with Vitamine C.

Production of vegetables (consumption of the young rackets, the nopalitos , in Mexico): full with good things, like the vitamin C, copper, magnesium, iron.
notorious Effect of reduction of the rates of blood glucose, cholesterol and blood triglycerides. (PasseportSanté Source: )

Animal feeds

Fruits
Rackets (with use of Fodder)

Agricultural use

Formation of defensive hedges

Biocarburant

Bioéthanol, Biogas

Environment

Fight against erosion
Conquest of the grounds

Therapeutic use

popular Médecine of Mexico
the plant would have many healing properties and anti-age. It is thus used in cream of day, after-sun, anti-wrinkle, anti-stretch marks.

Decorative use

Plant of gardens of ornament

Industrial use

natural Dyes extracts of the fruits
Production of a red dye by the breeding of a cochineal
Production of Mucilage S (in particular for the adhesives)

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