Opuntia pinkavae Opuntia pinkavae Opuntia pinkavae, common names Bulrush Canyon prickly-pear or Pinkava's pricklypear, is a species of cactus known only from northern Arizona and southern Utah. It grows in sunny locations in grasslands, on the edges of pinyon-juniper woodlands, on sandy or limestone soils. It was named for Dr. Donald Pinkava, professor emeritus at Arizona State University in Tempe. He studied "Opuntia" for many years. The species is one of the smaller members of the group, rarely more than 25 cm (10 inches) tall. Stems are green, flattened, up to 15 cm (6 inches) long. Flowers are magenta with yellow to
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