Opuntia pailana Opuntia pailana Opuntia pailana is a species of the genus "Opuntia" in the family Cactaceae. The name "pailana" comes from the sierra de la Paila in the state of Coahuila Mexico where it was discovered. The first description was published by Wilhelm Weingart in 1929 in the book "Monatsschrift der Deutschen Kakteen-Gesellschaft". Band 1, Nummer 9, 1929, S. 167–169. As most of the species of the genus Opuntia, "Opuntia pailana" is a shruby plant with cladodes (leaves racket-shaped) up to one meter high. The cladods are in color blue-green or when getting older green-yellow, 10 to 14 centimeters long and
Opuntia (seedless) cultivars are also available. In Mexico, prickly pears are often used to make appetizers, soups, and salads through entrees, vegetable dishes, and breads to desserts, beverages, candy, jelly, or drinks. The young stem segments, usually called "nopales", are also edible in most species of "Opuntia". They are commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes such as "huevos con nopales" (eggs with nopal), or "tacos de nopales". "Nopales" are also an important ingredient in New Mexican cuisine. "Opuntia ficus-indica" has been introduced to Europe, and flourishes in areas with a suitable climate, such as the south of France and southern