Synonyms:

Cactus indicus
Cactus monacanthos
Cactus urumbeba
Opuntia deflexa
Opuntia gracilior
Opuntia inermis
Opuntia lemaireana
Opuntia monacantha var. deflexa
Opuntia monacantha var. gracilior
Opuntia monacantha var. variegata
Opuntia roxburghiana
Opuntia vulgaris
Opuntia vulgaris var. lemaireana

Habitat:

Opuntia monacantha is native to Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Paraguay and Uruguay where the plant grows in semiarid, warm temperate to subtropical areas and can spread up to 2000 m of altitude.

Description:

Opuntia monacantha is a perennial cactus belonging to the Cactaceae botanical family. The plant has an erect shrub habit and can reach up to 6 m in height and 20 cm in diameter. The plant develops a definite trunk and the stem that is heavy branched at the top. The segments are oblong to ovate, up to 30 cm in diameter, bright shining green covered with woolly areoles. Each areole bears 1-2 spines, up to 4 cm long, yellowish brown to dark reddish brown. The glochids are short spines, barbered at the tip, extremely hurtful and a characteristic, only of the subfamily, Opuntioideae, of the family Cactaceae. Blooming occurs from the late spring to the late summer and the blossom are borne at the apex of the segments. The flowers are showy, large, yellow to reddish with styles and stigmas white. The fruits are pear-shaped, obovoid reddish purple.

Cultivation:

This is a fast growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant needs a direct sun-light exposure all the year, this will help a lush flowering. Long exposure to direct sun-light can cause burns and burnt spots. The succulent can tolerate temperatures to 45° C, and short periods of frost, but prolonged cold will damage or kill the plant. Too low temperatures can cause the stem or leaves to break due to water freezing inside the tissues. Temperatures between 10 and 15 °C allow the plants to enter vegetative rest which is essential for the flowering of the following year. Plants should not be placed inside the house where average temperatures of 20 degrees prevent vegetative rest. The soil should be a well-draining and porous soil, so you can use a standard cactus soil or a mix of fertile soil and sand. The pumice should always be placed on the bottom of the pot. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly during the vegetative period. Irrigation is proportional to the size of the pot, the position and the season. In Spring and Autumn the plant can be watered with a glass of water every 7-10 days; in summer it can be watered every 3-5 days. Decrease the amount of water if the plant is kept indoors or if the pot is smaller than 12 cm. About fertilization, for this plant is sufficient to fertilize moderately during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for succulents and stop fertilizing during the winter. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil; it is usually done every 3-4 years. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

La pianta può essere propagata esclusivamente per talea di cuscinetti fogliari. Per tagliare i cuscinetti fogliari puoi tagliare alcune foglie sane e piantarle in un vaso con sabbia e terriccio. Posiziona il vaso in un ambiente caldo e luminoso e in 1-2 mesi le talee saranno pronte per essere piantate. Per aumentare il successo della propagazione si possono effettuare due o più talee contemporaneamente. Si consiglia di utilizzare l’ormone radicante alla base del taglio per stimolare lo sviluppo delle radici. Per talee si consigliano temperature intorno ai 20 °C. 

Curiosity:

Opuntia was named after “Opunte”, the capital of Locride region in ancient Greece. The specific epithet comes from the Greek and literally means “with one thorn”.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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