''Opuntia pailana'' is a species of the genus ''

Opuntia ''Opuntia'', commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Prickly pears are also known as ''tuna'' (fruit), ''sabra'', ''nopal'' (paddle, plural ''nopales'') from the Nahuatl word f ...

'' in the family

Cactaceae A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

. The name ''pailana'' comes from the sierra de la Paila in the state of Coahuila

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

where it was discovered.

Description

The first description was published by

Wilhelm Weingart Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Mount ...

in 1929 in the book ''Monatsschrift der Deutschen Kakteen-Gesellschaft''. Band 1, Nummer 9, 1929, S. 167–169. Like most of the species of the genus Opuntia, ''Opuntia pailana'' is a shrubby plant with

cladode Phylloclades and cladodes are flattened, photosynthetic shoots, which are usually considered to be modified branches. The two terms are used either differently or interchangeably by different authors. ''Phyllocladus'', a genus of conifer, is name ...

s (leaves racket-shaped) up to one meter high. The cladodes are blue-green or, when getting older, green-yellow, 10 to 14 centimeters long and up to 9 centimeters wide. The

areole In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cacti out of which grow clusters of spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. Gordon Rowley - W ...

s with dark color support grey-yellow

glochid Glochids or glochidia (singular "glochidium") are hair-like spines or short prickles, generally barbed, found on the areoles of cacti in the sub-family ''Opuntioideae''. Cactus glochids easily detach from the plant and lodge in the skin, causin ...

s, with long white hairs of

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

. The areoles also support

thorn Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...

s 2 to 3 centimeters long with white or light grey color, with some darker stripes. Most often, they are three or six to eight on older plants.

Horticulture

This plant must receive full sunlight. On average, the plant should be spaced around 60 cm apart for full effect. This cactus is very hardy in desert/dry situations and is draught-tolerable. Opuntia pailana has a flower that blooms a brilliant yellow when healthy. When propagating, use cuttings from either the thick stalk or the fleshy cladodes. Allow the cut surface to heal slightly before planting. To collect the seeds, allow unblemished fruit to ripen, then clean and dry the seeds. Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed. Then, clean and dry the seeds. The seed can be successfully stored in an airtight container if properly cleaned. From seed, sow directly after the last frost.

References

pailana Endemic flora of Mexico Cacti of Mexico Flora of Coahuila {{Cactus-stub