Cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) species and cultivars cultivated in the world: A review

Abstract

Cactus pears are succulent plants resistant to drought and Opuntia Mill. Is the typical genus. This genus includes a group of cactus pear plants which are economically the most important in the cactus family. Cactus pears are originated from Mexico. Adapted to harsh and dry conditions, they are cultivated in the arid and semi-arid areas of the world and are now part of the agricultural systems of these areas. Opuntia ficus−indica (L.) Mill. is the most important economic species worldwide. It is cultivated in many countries of the world and naturalized in certain regions, as in the Mediterranean basin. The spineless species O. ficus−indica resulted from a long selection process in cultivation, and several Opuntia species are mentioned to be its ancestors, in particular O. megacantha Salm−Dyck and O. streptacantha Lem. Several taxa are often confused due to ambiguous descriptions and a lack of types. Molecular studies are a useful tool in plant taxonomy, and most of the taxa in the subfamily Opuntioideae are polyploid and Opuntia species are tetra, hexa or octoploids taxa. This paper describe the most important anatomical and morphological characters of cactus pears as cladodes, flowers and fruits, and the area of their cultivation and distribution in the world is presented. The taxonomic features of the genus Opuntia are highlighted and DNA molecular analysis of its taxa is discussed. Species and cultivars cultivated in the most producing countries are described.