Opuntia elatior Kanthari Nagphani Prickly pear

Plant Profile

Botany

Binomial nomenclature

Opuntia elatior

Scientific Name and Description

Opuntia elatior Mill

Herb Family

Plant type

Shrub

Opuntia nigricans HAW.

Hindi	Nagphani, thor-ka-haath
Tamil	ariyokitakkarralai, ariyokitam, cennakatali, civappunakatali, kaiviritavam, karunakatali, karunakatalikkoti, mullilakkarralai, mullillakkarralai, mulumuvitakkarralai, mulumuvital, nakamullu, nakaparani, nakapatam, nakappatikkarralai, ninocikkarralai, tevamati, tevamatikkarralai
English	Prickly pear
Sanskrit	Kanthari
Rajasthan Region	Hatha Thor

Plants Medicinal Value

Medicinal Systems

Siddha

Folk

Herb usable parts

Fruits

Whole plant

Ethanomedical Uses

Ethnopharmacology use

Pulp of ripe fruit eaten to cure burning sensation in the stomach.
Fruits is considered cooling and useful in gonorrhoea.
Baked fruit used in whooping cough.
Mashed phylloclade is used as poultice to reduce inflammation.
Pulp also applied in opthalmia.
Fleshy phylloclade warmed slightly and tides over wounds and boils to get relief.
It is also used to hasten suppuration of tumor and burns.

Source: Medicinal Plants in the Indian Arid Zone, March 2005, Director Central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur 342 003

Opuntia elatior Mill

Habit - Shrub

Parts used - Whole plant

Application - Increases lactation; edible

Treatment - General; women

References - Kataria and Kaur 2013