Opuntia microdasys subs. rufida - Οπούντια
Οικογένεια: Cactaceae
Διάμετρος γλάστρας:10.5εκ., Ύψος:20εκ.
Its name derives from Greek and was chosen in honor of Opunte, the capital of Locride - a region of ancient Greece. It is native to the American desert areas, but also grows spontaneously along the coasts of southern Italy, where it is possible to admire it of sometimes quite impressive dimensions. It is a very particular cactacea, which includes various species and therefore have very different characteristics: most of them have branched stems, that are segmented into flat articles, which are called "shovels" or "ears", with the well-known peculiarity of not only being equipped with spines, but also with glochids, or microscopic toothed spines, which easily remain attached to anything they touch. However, its dangerousness is compensated by pleasant showy flowers, similar to a wheel, and by large colorful fruits, often edible (the famous prickly pear is a very common example). The pulp of the blades also has a common use: the extract, obtained from it, is often used for body care, with its remarkable slimming and lipo-absorbing properties. You have never seen such a multifunctional and, at the same time, ornamental plant before!
Opuntia 'rufida' is a shrubby cactus that grows to a considerable size. The specific name comes from the Latin ‘rufus’ meaning ‘reddish’. The epidermis has a blue-green color that brings out the orange-red color of the dense areoles, from which emerge numerous very short spines. From the harmless appearance, it can instead cause considerable discomfort to the simple touch due to the aerial spores. Flowering can occur in spring or early summer. The yellow flowers open mid to late morning and close at night.
Care
- It likes an exposure to full sun in rather airy locations.
- It is preferable to keep it at mild temperatures and never below 3 °C, for this reason it is recommended to shelter it during the winter period.
- Water moderately and only when the soil is completely dry. It is enough to water it once a week in spring and summer, reduce it to once every two months in autumn and to suspend it completely in winter.
- The best soil is a well-draining one, even better if further enriched with inert materials such as pumice, sand or lapilli.
- They do not need frequent fertilization, it is sufficient to dilute the fertilizer with watering once a year.
