Ferocactus robustus
Galeotti ex Salm-Dyck) Werderm.
Clump barrel
(c) Gerardo Tapia Hervert Calderón., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gerardo Tapia Hervert Calderón.
(c) jesus_ortega_esquinca, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
The plant is used for food. No more details. The liquid obtained by crushing the pulp inside the stem can be used as an emergency source of fluid. It is said to be at least refreshing, though unpleasant and slimy to the taste. We have no more specific information for this species, but members of this genus are a valuable resource in the dry regions where they are native, and they are generally much utilised for food by native peoples. These uses are likely to include:- The cooked buds and flowers have a flavour somewhat like that of Brussels sprouts. Sometimes the buds were eaten fresh, although they are bitter unless cooked. The seeds are rich in oil and protein, and can be ground into an oily paste. The stems of barrel cacti are traditionally baked in a pit, and the cooked pulp sliced and eaten. The candied pulp of the stem of various barrel cacti makes an excellent sweetmeat, which is much used in Mexico and the southwestern United States, and is sold in the eastern United States as ‘cactus candy’. The fresh fruits are edible, but very acidic or sour. The yellow, globose, fleshy fruit of this species is around 20 - 30mm long.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. In Mexico it grows between 700-1,000 m above sea level.
Mexico,
How to Identify
A barrel cactus of the Cactaceae family that forms clumps, growing 90-100 cm tall and spreading to 3 m wide. It is native to Mexico, growing between 700-1,000 m altitude.
How to Grow
It can be grown from seeds or offsets.
Propagation: Seed - The species has low germination rates, which is a critical problem for sexual regeneration, and it also produces a low number of seeds.
Other Uses
We have no specific information for this species, but members of this genus are a valuable resource in the dry regions where they are native, and they are often utilised by native peoples. These uses are likely to include:- The plants have been used as cooking vessels. The interior is scooped out and mashed, and the liquid thus obtained replaced in the cavity and heated with hot stones, after which food is placed in the liquid and cooked. Several species develop tough spines and, after straightening out the tips and reducing the thicker part, these can be used as toothpicks and needles for knitting stockings etc.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Ferocactus robustus is a barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus of the family Cactaceae.
Names & Synonyms
References (1)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
