Origin and Habitat: Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar perhaps of hybrid origin)

• Opuntia microdasys cv. Caress

• Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Lehm. ex Pfeiff.
• Cactus microdasys Lehm.
• Opuntia macrocalyx Griffiths
• Opuntia microdasys var. albiflora Backeb.
• Opuntia microdasys var. albiglochidiata Backeb.
• Opuntia microdasys var. albispina Fobe & Backeb.
• Opuntia microdasys cv. Albata
• Opuntia microdasys cv. Albospina
• Opuntia microdasys var. laevior Salm-Dyck
• Opuntia microdasys var. minor Salm-Dyck
• Opuntia microdasys f. minor (Salm-Dyck) Schelle
• Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata hort.
• Opuntia microdasys f. monstruosa hort.
• Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. undulata
• Opuntia microdasys cv. Contorta
• Opuntia pulvinata DC.

• Opuntia microdasys cv. Caress

Description: Freely clustering succulent with small pads. It forms a dense shrub, to 40-60 (occasionally more) cm high, up to 1.5 m across. This plant may be of hybrid origin.
Cladodes: 7.5-15 cm long by half as wide, grass-green to greys-green as they ages.
Areoles: Round, small with brown felt, often with the minuscle remnants of dried leaves.
Leaves: Green tinged reddish, inconspicuous, very small 1-2 long and ephemeral (very short living).
Spines: It has no spines and no glochids.
Flowers: Pale lemon yellow translucent, 3-5 cm in diameter followed by red fruits.

Cultivation and Propagation: They are easy to culture. Require full sun to partial shade with a well-drained soil mix. The plants are watered and allowed to dry thoroughly before watering again. During the winter months, the plants enjoy a cold place where the temperature is dropped to 5/10° C, but hardy to -5° C for short periods of time if very dry. During this period water only enough to keep the pads from shrivelling.
Propagation: Cuttings taken at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a porous compost. Very easy, rooting within a month.