noun
- a genus of cacti with flattened, jointed stems and showy flowers, commonly known as prickly pear
Usage: botanical
Examples
- The opuntia in our desert garden bloomed with bright yellow flowers.
- Many species of opuntia produce edible fruits called prickly pears.
- The botanist studied the water storage mechanisms of opuntia cacti.
- Opuntia can survive in extremely arid conditions.
- The spines of opuntia help protect it from herbivores.
- Several opuntia species are native to the southwestern United States.