Vegetation propagule of opuntia
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Opuntia ficus-indica, which is part of a genus of cacti known as prickly pears, is commercially the most important kind of fruit-producing cactus in the world (Estrada-Luna et al. 2008). This species of Opuntia is native to Mexico, but is so widely spread throughout the world by man that many have believed prickly pears to be Mediterranean in origin (Griffith 2004).
Prickly pears are most well known in the United States as a source of its sweet, red fruit, but its cladodes can also be cooked to be eaten as a vegetable after the spines are removed, or used as forage for livestock (Mohamed-Yasseen et al. 1995). This particular species of Opuntia provides an important food source for the working poor in areas like Cyprus, while also doubling as large, impassable flowering hedges (Hall 1878). These hedges can be important in maintaining the quality of vulnerable soils by acting as a wind-break, as a soil-stabilizer, or by helping to re-vegetate the land while also controlling wind and water erosion. These plants also make good ornamentals, owing to their unusual growth habits (Estrada-Luna et al. 2008).