Prickly pear fruit for sale at a market, Zacatecas , Mexico
This is a list[ 1] of edible plants in the family Cactaceae .
Acanthocereus tetragonus , the sword pear,
Browningia candelaris ,[ 2]
Carnegiea gigantea , the Saguaro ,
Cereus repandus - California and Florida
genus Corryocactus (also known as Erdisia), the tasty berrylike
C. brevistylis, C. pulquiensis, and C. erectus
Coryphantha
C. robbinsorum and C. recurvata .
genus Echinocereus ("Strawberry Cactus")
E. engelmannii , E. bonkerae , E. boyce-thompsonii
E. enneacanthus , E. cincerascens , E. stramineus
E. dasyacanthus , E. fendleri and E. fasciculatus
E. brandegeei , E. ledingii and E. nicholii
E. engelmannii ("Strawberry Vanilla")
genus Echinopsis
genus Epiphyllum , the Orchid cactus
E. anguliger (also called Phyllocactus darrahii , said to be like gooseberries)
genus Epithelantha (the fruit of all species said to be edible)
genus Eulychnia
genus Ferocactus
genus Harrisia (of Florida and the Caribbean), the "Prickly Apples"
NOTE: The following 5 are said to be "endangered endemic" :
H. aboriginum , H.simpsonii , H. adscendens , H fragrans and H. eriophora
H. pomanensis
Argentinian H. balansae
genus Mammillaria ("chilitos " as they look like tiny red chili peppers)
M. applanata , M. meiacantha , M. macdougalii , M. lasiacantha
M. grahamii , M. oliviae , M. mainiae , M. microcarpa , M. thornberi and many others
Maihuenia
Myrtillocactus geometrizans ("garambulos ", taste like less-acid cranberries)
Neowerdermannia vorwerkii , the achakana
Cultivated prickly pear grown for food
genus Opuntia , the prickly pears
genus Pachycereus ,
genus Peniocereus ,
genus Pereskia
P. aculeata , the "Barbados gooseberry"
P. guamacho
Genus Selenicereus
genus Stenocereus (quite sweet, but prone to ferment; hence the "agria " [="sour"]))
S. fricii ("Pitayo de aguas "), S. griseus ("Pitayo de Mayo "), S. gummosus ("Pitahaya agria ")
S. pruinosus ("Pitayo de Octubre "), S. montanus ("Pitaya colorada ")
S. queretaroensis ("Pitaya de Queretaro "), S. standleyi ("Pita Marismena"), S. stellatus ("Xoconostle")
S. thurberi ("Organ Pipe Cactus", "Pitayo Dulce ") and S. treleasi ("Tunillo ")