opuntia

noun

any cactus of the genus Opuntia, esp prickly pear, having fleshy branched stems and green, red, or yellow flowers

Word Origin for opuntia

C17: New Latin, from Latin Opuntia (herba) the Opuntian (plant), from Opus, ancient town of Locris, Greece

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Examples from the Web for opuntia

Historical Examples of opuntia

You know that Henslow has described a new Opuntia from the Galapagos.
More Letters of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
The fruit of the Opuntia cactus, of which there are about two hundred species.
Original Narratives of Early American History
Vaca and Others
A closely-related species is known as tassajo (Opuntia sponsior).
American Forest Trees
Henry H. Gibson
Cholla (Opuntia fulgida) ranges from Nevada southward into Mexico.
American Forest Trees
Henry H. Gibson
Grafted on to a Cereus or Opuntia it is healthier than when on its own roots.
Cactus Culture For Amateurs
W. Watson