Herb latin name: Branched Pencil Cholla,Branched Pencil Cholla Extract

Latin name: Opuntia ramosissima

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Habitat of the herb: the herb: Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland. Other uses of Branched Pencil Cholla: The following notes are for

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Habitat of the herb: the herb: Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland.
Other uses of Branched Pencil Cholla: The following notes are for O. ficus indica. They almost certainly also apply to this species. A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or mixed with oil to make candles. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls.
Propagation of the herb: Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter. Cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.
Cultivation of Branched Pencil Cholla: Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland.
Medicinal use of the herb: None known
Known hazards of Opuntia ramosissima: The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids (hairs) that are easily dislodged when the plant is touched and they then become stuck to the skin where they are difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable discomfort.

Herb latin name: Branched Pencil Cholla,Branched Pencil Cholla Extract

Latin name: Opuntia ramosissima

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Habitat of the herb: the herb: Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland. Other uses of Branched Pencil Cholla: The following notes are for

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Habitat of the herb: the herb: Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland.
Other uses of Branched Pencil Cholla: The following notes are for O. ficus indica. They almost certainly also apply to this species. A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or mixed with oil to make candles. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls.
Propagation of the herb: Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter. Cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.
Cultivation of Branched Pencil Cholla: Dry situations in creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland.
Medicinal use of the herb: None known
Known hazards of Opuntia ramosissima: The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids (hairs) that are easily dislodged when the plant is touched and they then become stuck to the skin where they are difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable discomfort.