Opuntia Humifusa aka beavertail cactus

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Ken,

 

Ken Hoffman wrote:

> Does anyone know if Opuntia Humifusa aka beaver tail cactus is

> used in TCM & if so could you provide any info.

 

Cactus has many varieties and uses in medicine. My notes say

that Xianrenzhang is a general name for Opuntia cactus (Opuntia

fici-indica, / vulgaris / decumana / compressa / leucotricha /

streptacantha / stricta); Cholla Stem/Rz; Dragon Tongue, Old Duck

Tongue, Spirit Immortal Palm; Panini; Papipi; Prickly Pear, Barbary

Pear, Indian Pear; Aathikan; Cockineal; Nopal (whole plant), Tuna

(Fr)).

 

However, http://cactiguide.com/Opuntia.htm says that Opuntia

dillenii synonyms include): Cactus dillenii, Opuntia anahuacensis,

Opuntia zebrina, Opuntia atrocapensis, Opuntia nitens, Opuntia

melanosperma; Common Name(s): Eltham Indian Fig, Sweet

Prickly Pear. Thus, it may qualify as Xianrenzhang also.

 

Unfortunately, I can find no direct link between Xianrenzhang &

Opuntia Humifusa. Opuntia humifusa is EASTERN PRICKLY

PEAR CACTUS. Opuntia basilaris is Beaver tail cactus.

 

I could find no hits for use of Opuntia Humifusa in medicine on

Google, Copernicus or WebFerret.

 

Eric Brand wrote:

> I'm only aware of the use of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia dillenii

> Haw.) being used in TCM. > Besides the cactus itself, the dried

> sap, flowers, & seeds are also used. Xianrenzhang is the name of

> the primary medicinal, it is a bitter, cold medicinal that enters

> HT, LU & ST. It acts to Move Qi & Quicken Xue, Clear Heat &

> Resolve Toxin. It is used to treat HT & ST Qi pain, lump glomus,

> dysentery, bleeding haemorrhoids, cough, sore throat, breast

> abscess, clove sores, burns, scalds & snakebite. Juice of red fruit

> is a common beverage in Taiwan; Fr is sometimes eaten in the US.

> diced green part of Fr ( " Nopales " ), is good to saute with eggs.

 

Useful data, Eric.

 

www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Opuntia_dillenii.html

says: Synonym: Cactus dillenii, Opuntia stricta var. dillenii,

Opuntia anahuacensis, Opuntia atrocapensis, Opuntia

melanosperma, Opuntia nitens, Opuntia zebrina [also called

Opuntia dellenii on Google]

 

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/parmar/14.html says: Opuntia

dillenii is synonym for Cactus indicus; English name: Prickly pear;

Indian names: nagajemudu, nagadali (Andhra Pradesh); nagphana

(Bengal); chorhathalo (Gujrat); nagphan, chhittarthor (Himachal

Pradesh); hathhathoria, naghhana (Hindi); papaskalli, chappatigalli

(Karnatka); palakakkali, nagamullu (Kerala); chapal (Maharashtra);

nagophenia (Orissa); chittarthohar (Punjab); mahavriksha,

vajrakantaka (Sanskrit); nagathali, sappathikalli (Tamilnadu).

 

Opuntia dillenii Fr is refrigerant. Fm, mashed up and applied as a

poultice, can Clear Heat & Antiinflammation. Ripe Fr, when eaten,

dye the urine red. Fr is useful in gonorrhoea. Fm, made into a pulp,

is applied to eyes in ophthalmia; plant is bitter, hot, laxative;

stomachic, carminative, antipyretic. cures biliousness, burning,

leucoderma, urinary complaints, tumours, loss of consciousness,

piles, inflammations, anaemia, ulcers and the enlargement of the

spleen. Fl cures bronchitis and asthma. Juice is heating, cures

tumours and leucoderma,

 

Dessert quality fruits are mucilaginous, edible and sweet, with a

pleasant blend of acidity. Fruit can be used to prepare an alcoholic

drink. Fruit (dehaired after boiling) is used for jam. Rx is very bitter;

Underground Rx used as emetic in poisonous snakebites

 

See also: http://cactiguide.com/Opuntia.htm

It says: Opuntia basilaris: Common Name(s): Bakersfield

Beavertail, Beavertail, Branching Beavertail, Elongated Beavertail,

Kern Beavertail, Short-Joint Beavertail, Trelease Beavertail,

Trealease's Beavertail, Woodbury Beavertail; Synonym(s): Opuntia

basilaris, Opuntia treleasei, Opuntia brachyclada, Opuntia

humistrata, Opuntia whitneyana, Opuntia longiareolata, Opuntia

basilaris

 

See also: http://www.nybg.org/bsci/herb/cactaceae1.html

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mobile: 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

 

Chinese Proverb: " Man who says it can't be done, should not interrupt man doing

it "