Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants figs jelly the cactus family Cactaceae. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew and could be propagated by rooting its leaves.
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Opuntia contains a range of phytochemicals in variable quantities, such as polyphenols, dietary minerals and betalains. In 1754, the Scottish botanist Philip Miller divided them into several genera, including Opuntia. Considerable variation of taxonomy occurs within Opuntia species, resulting in names being created for variants or subtypes within a species, and use of DNA sequencing to define and isolate various species. This can make classification difficult, yielding a reticulate phylogeny where different species come together in hybridization.