Areoles have brown or yellowish glochids. Flowers appear on edge of flat pad, followed by smooth red to purplish, cylindrical fruit, to 3 inches long. Fruits, called tunas, are eaten by birds and rodents, and used for jelly and making red dye. Most common prickly pear in Arizona. Pollinated by bees.
Javelinas eat pads.
Stem pulp is used to make face cream and water purifier. Glochids are difficult to remove from the skin.