Scientific Name :
Opuntia cochenillifera (L.) Mill
Synonym :
Cactus cochenillifer L.
Opuntia nuda (Backeb.) G.D.Rowley
Common Name : Cochineal Cactus
Plant Family : Cactaceae
Habit : Shrub
Plant Description
Flowering & Fruiting : January to Aril
Flower Colour : Pink
Description : Height: Upto 1 m
Stem: Flattened, obovate, leafless
Flowers: Pink, large, showy, stamens infinite, stigma 2 lobed each into 3 parts, filaments and anthers red
Inflorescence: Solitary or in groups of 2 or 3
Fruits: Berry
Native/ Exotic : E
Locality : HN, TL
Distribution Range : Mexico.
Uses : It contains health-boosting nutrients like amino acids, fatty acids and antioxidants such as flavonoids, quercetin, gallic acid, phenolic compounds and betacyanins.
