The scientific name of prickly pear is prickly fruit cassis (scientific name: Ribes burejense Fr. Schmidt) is a plant of the genus Cassis in the family Thuja.

Deciduous shrub, 1-1.5(2) m tall; older branches smoother, gray-black or gray-brown, branchlets gray-brown, pilose when young, bearing 3-7 coarse spines up to 1 cm long at the lower nodes of the leaves, inter-nodes densely covered with fine needle spines of varying lengths; buds oblong, apex acute, with several scarious scales.

Leaves broadly ovoid, 1.5-4 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, larger on sterile branches, base truncate to heart-shaped, pubescent on both surfaces when young, gradually glabrescent with age, sometimes with a few glandular hairs along the nerves below, palmately 3-5-parted, apex of the segments slightly obtuse or acute, margins coarsely obtusely serrate; petiole 1.5-3 cm long, pilose, glabrescent nearly glabrous with age, often with sparse often with sparse glandular hairs.

Flowers bisexual, solitary in leaf axils or 2-3 in short racemes; inflorescence axis ca. 4-7 mm, sparsely pilose or glabrescent, or sparsely glandular hairy; pedicels 5-10 mm, sparsely pilose or subglabrous, sometimes sparsely glandular hairy.

Bracts broadly ovoid, 3-4 mm long, ca. 3 mm wide, apex acute or slightly obtuse, pilose, 3-veined; calyx light brown to reddish brown, sparsely pilose or subglabrous; calyx tube broadly campanulate, 3-4 mm long, slightly wider than long, sepals oblong or spatulate, 6-7 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, apex rounded, spreading or reflexed at anthesis, often erect in fruit.

Petals spatulate or oblong, 4-5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, apex rounded, light red or white; stamens longer than petals or several equal, anthers ovate-elliptic, apex often without dense glands; ovary pyriform, pilose, with yellow-brown spicules; styles glabrous, several equaling stamens, apex 2-lobed.

The fruit is globose, about 1 cm in diameter, light green to light yellowish green when unripe, turning dark reddish black when ripe, with numerous yellowish brown spines. Flowering in May-June, fruiting in July-August.

Expanded Information:

Main Values:

1. >The prickly fruit cassis is a perennial shrub, is one of the main economic plants of the berry class that has long been artificially cultivated in the cold regions of Europe and the United States.

2, edible

The mature fruit contains 20% sugar, sweet and sour, unique flavor, bright color, beautiful shape, rich in nutrition. Suitable for raw food and processing products such as fruit wine, jam, canned sugar water. Rich in sugar, organic acids, 16 kinds of amino acids, a variety of vitamins and a variety of minerals and special aromatic components, especially the Vc content of up to 180 mg/100 grams, has a high nutritional value. Leaves can be used as salted flavoring agent.

3, medicinal

Medicinal parts: stems and branches, fruits, seeds, roots.

Effective applications: clearing heat and drying dampness. Induces diuresis and regulates menstruation. Used for rheumatic pain, irregular menstruation.?

4, Garden

Floral and fragrant, flowering period of up to 1 month . The flowers are fragrant and beautiful, and the fruit is like a prickly ball, which can be ornamental. The garden can be configured in the publication section of the mountain rocks or forest edge, can also be cultivated as a hedge.

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