Opuntia elatior Mill. dalam Bahasa Indonesia klik di sini
Opuntia elatior Mill.


Source: Private document, 2022

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiosperms
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Opuntia
Species: Opuntia elatior Mill
(Gard & Dict, 1986)


Stem


Spine
Source: Private document, 2022

Morphology
Opuntia elatior Mill. is a type of cacti that does not have leaves, so photosynthesis is carried out through the rod. This plant is a succulent because it is able to store the water in its stem. This type of cactus is easy to bloom, the flower are red, and has funnel-shaped, similar with a reddish yellow cup. This plant has a spine included in its fruit that serves as a protector against herbivorous animals. It can produce 100 up to 200 fruits per plant (Intakar, et al., 2012).

Distribution & Habitat
Opuntia elatior Mill. is a plant originally from Colombia which then spread to the Asian region (Force, et al., 2013). In Indonesia, this plant is widely spread in Java, Sumatra, Bali, Madura, Sulawesi, and Maluku. Generally, this plant growth in all types of soil and sandy soils, but cannot grow in water.

Potential
Opuntia elatior fruit has an analgesic compound which is believed reducing pain without losing consciousness (Duke et al.: 2002). The fruit of this plant has phenolic and flavonoid compounds which can be used as an anti-inflammatory (Intakar, et al.:2012), and contains betacyanin which can be used as a natural dye (Rengku, et al.: 2017).

Usability
The stems can be used as a medicine for burns and ulcer. The fruit can be used to prevent pain and a refresher for the body. It is widely used as a herbal medicine by African, Asian, and Latin American. In India this plant is used as food and beverage ingredients (Duke et al.: 2002).

References
Rengku, dkk. (2017). Ekstraksi dan Uji Stabilitas Betasianin Dalam Ekstrak Buah Kaktus (Opuntia Elatior Mill.). KOVALEN Vol.3(2): 142-149.

Duke, J. A., M. Bogenschutz-Godwin, J. Cellier, and P. Duke. (2002). Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Second Edition. CRC Press LLC. Florida.

Itankar, Acharya, Arora, and Thakre. 2012. Phytochemical study and evaluation of antileukemic activity of ripe fruit of Opuntia elatior Mill. Ancient Science of Life 32(2):47.

Chauhan S.P., Sheth N.R., Rathod I.S., Suhagia B.N., Maradia R.B. (2013). Phytochemical Screening of Fruits of Opuntia elatior Mill. American Journal of Pharmatech Research, 3(2): 2249-3387.