Scientific Name
Opuntia spp.
Common Name
Rabbit ears cactus, prickly pear cactus

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION SEVERE!

Characteristics

Family
Cactaceae
Plant Description
Succulent, flattened stems or shrublike with cylindric stems; leaves lacking or modified into large spines; sharp-pointed glochids in clusters at base of spines; flowers variously colored, with many petals; fruit fleshy or dry.
Origin
Americas.
Distribution
Coastal Plain, Piedmont.
Where Found
Houseplant or interiorscape; Landscape as cultivated ornamental plants, native and naturalized, weedy in disturbed areas, lawns in coastal areas.
Mode
Ingestion; splinter-like small infection due to glochids lodged in the skin, eye irritation.
Poisonous Part
Glochids (minute bristle-like, barbed hairs in clusters) on the stems (green, thickened stems resemble leaves).
Symptoms
Painful skin and eye irritation following contact; internal effects in diabetics from ingestion.
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Ripe fruit edible raw or in jelly. Leaf pads, fruit and seeds. HARVEST TIME: Only collect plants from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Use tender young leaf pads gathered during the spring. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Wash leaf pads, fruit and seeds thoroughly with warm water. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Peel and cut pulp into chunks or strips and cook like string beans. Batter, roast or fry pads. The interior of the pad similar to okra and can be used to thicken soups. Cut pads into pieces and use raw in salads. Remove bristles before use with a flame or by wiping off with a glove or damp cloth. Or, bake the pads in a medium-temperature oven for one-half hour, then peel the skin with the bristles attached. If a knife is used to cut out bristles, wipe after each cut, because mucilage produced by the pads will stick to blade. Roast the pads in their skin on a fire for about 15-20 minutes per side. Peel and eat the pulp after cooking. Peel or cut in half and scoop out pulp before use. Chill and eat raw or pickle after removing seeds. Dried seeds can be crushed or ground into flour and used in soup as a thickener. SOURCE: Larson, Ken. 1995. God's Free Harvest, Rhema Publishing, Inc., Suwanee, GA. 231 pp.
Toxic Principle
Unknown; possibly mechanical effect of glochids.
Severity
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION SEVERE!

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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