Opuntia abjecta ease. "O. abjecta" is a small plant with radiating branches, a subshrub. Retrorsely barbed spines are reddish-brown as they develop; they mature to pale white (not bright white). Zero to three spines are produced by terminal cladodes. Generally, the spines of "O. abjecta" are shorter than 4 cm. The flower bud of "O. ajbjecta" is rounded (not acute). "O. abjecta" has teardrop-shaped leaves. The seeds are about 4 mm in diameter. Opuntia abjecta Opuntia abjecta is a short cactus, perhaps to 15(25) cm tall. It occurs in the Florida Keys and has been conflated with "O. triacantha". Recent work shows
Opuntia ficus-indica limit of prickly pear is above 50 °C. As the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica are delicate, they need to be carefully harvested by hand. The small spines on the fruits are removed by rubbing them on an abrasive surface or sweeping them through grass. Before consumption, they are peeled and sliced. The pads of the plant (mainly used as fodder) also need to be harvested by hand. The pads are cut with a knife, detaching the pad from the plant in the joint. If Opuntia ficus-indica is cultivated for forage production, spineless cultivars are preferred. However, also wild types of