Opuntia including antelopes, non-human primates, elephants, birds, and humans. When Carl Linnaeus published "Species Plantarum" in 1753 – the starting point for modern botanical nomenclature – he placed all the species of cactus known to him in one genus, "Cactus". In 1754, the Scottish botanist Philip Miller divided cacti into several genera, including "Opuntia". He distinguished the genus largely on the form of its flowers and fruits. There is considerable variation of taxonomy within "Opuntia" species, resulting in names being created for variants or subtypes within a species, and use of DNA sequencing to define and isolate various species. "Opuntia" hybridizes
Opuntia ficus-indica the plants are used as fodder. In these cases, the spines need to be removed from the pads to avoid damage to the animals. Mostly, this is achieved by burning the spines off the pads. "Opuntia ficus-indica" for human and animal consumption is its water content in an arid environment, containing about 85% water as a water source for wildlife. The seeds contain 3-10% of protein and 6-13% of fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid. As the fruit contains vitamin C (containing 25–30 mg per 100g), it was once used to mitigate scurvy. "Opuntia" contains selenium. The red color of the