Opuntia aciculata also tolerate temperatures from −5 to −12 °C. The fruits are edible and the soft pads ("nopales") can be cooked as vegetables. It also can be used to treat dyspepsia, mumps, or swelling, and in veterinary it is used to treat bruises. After burning of spines, the pads can serve as a good feed for cattle. Opuntia aciculata Opuntia aciculata, also called Chenille pricklypear, old man's whiskers, and cowboy’s red whiskers, is a perennial dicot and an attractive ornamental cactus native to Texas. It belongs to the genus "Opuntia" prickly pear cacti. It is also widespread in Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas
Opuntia ficus-indica the wild origin of "O. ficus-indica" is likely to have been in Mexico due to the fact that its close genetic relatives are found in central Mexico. "Opuntia ficus-indica" is polyploid, hermaphrodite and autogamous. As "Opuntia" species grow in semi-arid environments, the main limiting factor in their environment is water. They have developed a number of adaptations to dry conditions, notably succulence. The perennial shrub "Opuntia ficus-indica" can grow up to 3-5m height, with thick, succulent and oblong to spatulate stems called cladodes. It has a water-repellent and sun-reflecting waxy epidermis. Cladodes that are 1–2 years old produce flowers, the