Opuntia tomentosa

A cactus-like shrub growing to a height of over 4 m, with sturdy, almost cylindrical, smooth, thornless stems covered in a very thick, greyish-brown bark, which branch profusely in their upper parts.

The leaves, commonly known as ‘pencas’, are large and thick, between 15–30 cm long and 6–12 cm wide, obovate to elliptical in shape, with very small, felt-like areoles and almost entirely devoid of spines. When the plant has reached full maturity, the young leaves are a bright green, whilst the mature ones are a deep shade of green and covered with a thick layer of whitish tomentum, with a soft velvety texture; as they age, or in very arid conditions, they take on a yellowish or orange colour. Over time, the lower leaves become woody.

On very young fronds, the leaves are reduced to small, finely pubescent, conical structures that are tender and quickly fall off, giving way to the spines that will develop in their place. Its striking flowers, about 4–5 cm in diameter and varying in colour from yellow to deep red, develop along the edge of the bracts, on what is already the rudiment of the fruit.