Got a few seeds from a friend, and found that it has several uses:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr ... +imbricata
Edible Uses:
Fruit; Leaves; Seed.
Pads - cooked or raw[257]. Watery and very mucilaginous[85]. The prickles on the skin must be carefully removed before eating the pads. The young pads can be split lengthways then dried and stored for winter use[257].
Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[257]. Sweet and gelatinous[85]. Lean and insipid[95]. The unripe fruits can be added to soups etc, imparting an okra-like mucilaginous quality[183]. The fruit can hang on the plant all year round[160]. Be careful of the plants irritant hairs, see the notes above on toxicity. The fruits of O. imbricata are dry, about 3cm in diameter and usually free of spines[200, 227].
Medicinal Uses
The thorns have been used as a sewing material and for tattooing[257].
The dried stems have been used as candles and torches[257].
Other Uses
Gum; Lighting; Mordant; Needles.
The fruit is chopped into small pieces, boiled and then the fibre and seed is filtered out. The resulting liquid is used as a mordant for dyes[227].
Opuntia imbricata
Opuntia imbricata
A wise man speaks when he has something to say
A fool speaks when he has to say something
A fool speaks when he has to say something
