仙人掌（学名：Opuntia

stricta ）是仙人掌科缩刺仙人掌
的变种。丛生肉质灌木，高1.5-3
米。上部分枝宽倒卵形、倒卵状椭
圆形或近圆形，绿色至蓝绿色，无
毛；刺黄色，有淡褐色横纹，坚硬；
倒刺直立。叶钻形，绿色，早落。
花辐状；花托倒卵形，基部渐狭，
绿色；萼状花被黄色，具绿色中肋；
花丝淡黄色；花药黄色；花柱淡黄
色；柱头黄白色。浆果倒卵球形，
顶端凹陷，表面平滑无毛，紫红色，
倒刺刚毛和钻形刺。种子多数，扁
圆形，边缘稍不规则，无毛，淡黄
褐色。花期6-10（-12)月。
 形态特征：
• 丛生肉质灌木，高（1-）1.5-3米。上
部分枝宽倒卵形、倒卵状椭圆形 或近
圆形，长10-35（-40）厘米，宽7.5-20
（-25）厘米，厚达1.2-2厘米，先端圆
形，边缘通常不规则波状，基部楔形
或渐狭，绿色至蓝绿色，无毛；小窠
疏生，直径0.2-0.9厘米，明显突出，
成长后刺常增粗并增多，每小窠具
（1-）3-10（-20）根刺，密生短绵毛
和倒刺刚毛；刺黄色，有淡褐色横纹，
粗钻形，多少开展并内弯，基部扁，
坚硬，长1.2-4（-6）厘米，宽1-1.5毫
米；倒刺刚毛暗褐色，长2-5毫米，直
立，多少宿存；短绵毛灰色，短于倒
刺刚毛，宿存。叶钻形，长4-6毫米，
绿色，早落。
 生长环境:
• 仙人掌喜阳光、温暖、耐旱，
怕寒冷、怕涝、怕酸性土壤，
适合在中性、微碱性土壤生
长，pH值在7.0-7.5。为此家
庭栽培仙人掌应选择放在有
阳光的窗台上，并选翻冰良
好的微碱幽巴沃砂质土为宜。
 药理作用：
 仙人掌在中国作为药用植物
首载于清代赵学敏所著的
《本草纲目拾遗》，该书记
载：仙人掌味淡，性寒具有
行气活血、清热解毒、消肿
止痛、健脾止泻、安神利尿
的功效，内服外用治疗多种
疾病。仙人掌主要治疗疔疮
肿毒，外还可以治疗胃痛、
痞块腹痛、急性痢疾、肠痔
泻血、哮喘等症。
Opuntia stricta is a large sized
species of cactus that is endemic
in the subtropical and tropical
coastal areas of the Americas
and the Caribbean.Common
names include erect prickly pear
and nopal estricto (Spanish).The
first description as Cactus
strictus was published in 1803
by Adrian Hardy Haworth. In
1812 he introduced the species
in the genus Opuntia.
Description:
It is a shrubby, erect plant, extending
lengthwise to somewhat upright and reach
heights of growth up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in height,
producing lemon yellow flowers in the spring
and summer, followed by purplish-red fruits. It
is quick to colonize hot, open environments
with sandy soils. The bald, flattened, ovate to
inverted egg-shaped, tapered at the base
shoot sections are blue-green. They are 10 to
25 inches long and 6 to 25 inches wide. The
brownish areoles are far apart leaving most of
the epidermis, with often one or more
yellowish spines, at least near the edges and
towards the apex. They carry striking, yellow
glochids that are 2 to 6 millimeters long. The 1
to 5 awl-shaped spur is flattened, provided
with a light barb at the top thorns are yellow.
They are perpendicular to the surface of the
shoots and are 0.5 to 5 inches long
Distribution :
Opuntia stricta occurs naturally in
coastal beach scrub and sandy
coastal environments in South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and
along the Gulf Coast in Texas,
Mississippi, and Alabama in the
United States, as well as Bermuda,
the Caribbean, eastern Mexico,
Central America, northern
Venezuela, and Ecuador. O. stricta
is a major component in the
understory of Bahamian dry forests
in the Bahamas and the Turks and
Caicos Isla.
Useage and potential:
Medicinal
The fruit is said to have a value in
the treatment of diabetes.
• Edible Uses
i. Fruits - Insipid but very juicy,
they can be made into syrup,
jam or jelly. The pear-shaped,
purplish, spine-free fruits can be
up to 75mm long.
ii. Young pads - cooked as a
vegetable.They can be cut into
strips and boiled, or can be sun-
dried for later use