Opuntia ELATIOR Mill.
| Synonym : | Opuntia dillenii (Ker.- Gawl.) Haw. Cactus elatior (Mill.) Willd. Opuntia bergeriana F.A.C.Weber ex A.Berger Opuntia megalantha Griffiths Opuntia nigricans (Haw.) Haw. |
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| Bangla Name : | Phanimansa, Naghana. |
| English Name : | Prickly Pear, Slipper Thorn. |
| Family : | Cactaceae |
| Disease : | Digestive, carminative, diuretic, purgative, , bronchitis, leucoderma, enlarged spleen, urinary burning, vesicular calculi , ophthalmia, inflammation , cough, ashma and gonorrhoea. |
| Description : | A spiny shrub with flattened, articulated, fleshy stems, up to 1.5 m high. Leaves 3.8 mm long, conical from a broad base. Joints 30-40 cm long, broadly obovate, not very thick, dull bluish-green. Aereoles large, bearing 4-6 prickles, the largest very stout, subulate, sharp, 2.5-3.8 cm long. Flowers 7.5 cm across, yellow tinged with orange. Berry pyriform, truncate, depressed at the apex. |
| Distribution : | Occasionally planted. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Stems contain malate of manganese, a fatty acid, citric acid, wax, resin and sugar. Fruits contain carbohydrates (mucilage, sugars), albuminoids, fat, vitamin C and other fruit acids. Ripe fruits contain a red pigment, betanin. Flowers contain flavonoids, |
| Uses : | The plant is digestive, carminative, diuretic and purgative, good for bronchitis of children, leucoderma, enlarged spleen, urinary burning, vesicular calculi and ophthalmia. Pounded plants are rubbed on scalp to clear dandruff. Leaves are used as a poulti |
| Habit : | Shrub |