Prickly Pears

This Wiki description has been interspersed with personal anecdotes

Prickly pears typically grow with flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) that are armed with two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hairlike prickles called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant

In the 1930s, the prickly pear was considered to be the worst plant invader in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape. Like all true cactus species, prickly pears are native only to the Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the globe.

I grew up on a farm in South Africa in the Eastern Cape!

The fruit of prickly pears is edible, although it has to be peeled carefully to remove the small spines on the outer skin before consumption. If the outer layer is not properly removed, the prickless can be ingested, causing discomfort of the throat, lips, and tongue.

We would pick the fruit extremely carefully from the cactus, knocking the fruit off with sticks, and roll the fruit around in a suitable medium (e.g. grit) to "sand" off the spines. Then peel and...eat!

These, bought in a local shop, have been mostly cleared of the fine, irritating hair like spines, but still needed to be peeled with care!

Known in many countries as some type of fig
Fichi d'india
Figue de Barbari
Feigenkaktus
Turksvy
Just add your own....