Xerophyte

Leaves

Small, awl-shaped, soon deciduous.

Seeds

About 3-5 mm long and 1.5-3 mm wide tan to grey.

Description

Nopalea cochenilliferaSN|28400]]SN|28400]] is a well-known shrubby or treelike cactus with several main branches from the base and a large almost hemispherical top often 3 to 4 meters high or more. It was used in the past for the production of the cochineal insect (Dactylopious coccus Costa). A deep crimson dye is extracted from the female cochineal insects. Cochineal produces a range of scarlet, pink and other red hues from the dye found in cochineal insects, carminic acid. It was used for dyeing fabric, fibres, and wool. This species may have been selected for spinelessness in Mexico, much like Opuntia ficus-indicaSN|11631]]SN|11631]], to ease the culturing.

Flowers

The flowers are developed at the top of the joints, usually in great abundance. They are narrow, erect, bright red to rose coloured, 5-6(-7) cm long (from base of ovary to tip of style) and 12-15 mm in diameter. Pericarpel nearly globular, 2 cm long, with low diamond-shaped tubercles, its areoles bearing many glochids. Outer tepals broadly ovate, acute, scarlet. Inner tepals a little longer than the sepals, spatulate, otherwise similar, persistent. Stamens pinkish, exserted 1to 1.5 cm beyond the petals. Stigma-lobes 6 or 7, greenish, exserted beyond the stamens. Style, white, swollen just above its base into a broad disk. Nectar chamber elliptic to obconic.

Glochids

Numerous, but inconspicuous and caducous.

Blooming Season

Winter (Sep-Mar)

Chromosome Number

2n = 22

Spines

None or rarely 1-3 minute or stout, straight or curved, usually less than 1 cm long (occasionally to 2 cm long), brown, aging gray, develop on the older joints.

Stem

Trunks up to 20 cm thick. Cladodes (joints) narrowly obovate, oblong, sometime slightly falcate, ascending or spreading, 8-35 cm long (sometimes to 50 cm long), 5-12(-15) cm wide, green, bright green at first.

Fruits

Ellipsoid, about 25-38(-50) mm long, 25-30 mm in diameter, red, fleshy, with areoles well distributed, rarely maturing in greenhouse plants.

Areoles

Widely separated (2-3 cm apart), woolly tawny, whitening with age.