Opuntia ficus-indica system. The plant may be used as an ingredient in adobe to bind and waterproof roofs. "O. ficus-indica" (as well as other species in "Opuntia" and "Nopalea") is cultivated in nopalries to serve as a host plant for cochineal insects, which produce desirable red and purple dyes, a practice dating to the pre-Columbian era. Mucilage from prickly pear may work as a natural, non-toxic dispersant for oil spills. A commercial use for "O. ficus-indica" is for the large, sweet fruits, called tunas. Areas with significant tuna-growing cultivation include Mexico, the Mediterranean Basin, Middle East and northern Africa. The cactus grows
Opuntia pinkavae magenta anthers and white styles. Fruits are tan, up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) long, dry when ripe. There is a bit of confusion concerning the correct scientific name. Specimens of "O. pinkavae" were distributed for years labeled as ""Opuntia kaibabensis"", a name that was never validly published. Parfitt's original description coining the name "Opuntia pinkavae" and the treatment attributed to Pinkava in Flora of North America suggest that the name was offered as a replacement for another allegedly unpublished name, "Opuntia basilaris" var. "woodburyi". However, the varietal name was indeed validly published, but chromosomal comparisons between it and "O.