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the nopal, prickly pear cactus
The Florentine Codex, Book 11, speaks of varieties of nopalli. First it clarifies that nopalli is a generic name that covers all the varieties (125v), and it can be eaten in moderation, whether cooked or uncooked (126r). One variety is the tlatocnochnohpalli, which is brown-colored with a dark yellow fruit (126v). The iztac nochnopalli has a white fruit (126r). The coznochnopalli has yellow fruit, but the nopalli is sour (126t). The cuicuilnochnopalli has leaves that are striped, varicolored, painted (126v). The anochtli is the same as the tlazolnochcnopalli, and these have disagreeable fruit (126v). The tzoalnochnopalli does not have a lot of branches, but more of a creeper (126v). The tlanexnopalli (fruit, tlanexnochtli) is fat, dark brown or dark red (127r). The camaxtli has fruit that has thick-skinned, sour-skinned, but the center is soft and sweet (127r). The xoconochnopalli has white and sour fruit (xoconochtli) that is best cooked, becoming sweet like honey (127r). The tenopalli grows everywhere. It has a sour fruit called zacanochtli that can be eaten raw or cooked (127r). The small and round fruit of the azcanochnopalli (called the azcanochtli) is white, purple, chili-red, or brown (127v). Finally, the tecolonochnopalli has slender branches and its fruit has thick skin (127v). (Summarized by SW.)
See an image that represents nopalli in the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, ed. Stephanie Wood (Eugene, Ore.: Wired Humanities, 2020-present).
Iz catqui in intlaqual chichimeca: nupalli, nochtli = Here is the Chichimeca's food: nopal cactus, tuna. (Tlatelolco, 1540–80)
ma ye mel xiçacamo, xitlacuentoma, xitlacuentlapana ximeteca xictlaça in nopalli = be diligent. Rework the soil; make ridges; break up the earth; plant the magueys; cultivate cacti. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
Tlapalnopalli referred to the nopalli plant grown for the purpose of cultivating cochineal. (See examples from the Spanish sources.)
Macamo no quen qujmuchiujlican in xoxovixtoc in quavitl, in metl, in nopalli in jxqujch ixvatoc: ca itlaanca ca ijulca in maceoalli, ca inenca in jcnotlacatl = May they also in no manner harm that which lieth green—the trees, the maguey, the nopal, all which lieth germinating—for they are the source, the life of common folk, the support of the poor (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
auh xontlatepeoacan in mjlpan in metzintli, in nopaltzintli in quauhtzintli = And in the field plant the maguey, the nopal, the trees (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
mani nopalili tapialestitlan = están unos nopales de grana (Tlaxcala, 1641)
occe milli onmani yn atentitech yn ihuiccopa nopalhuitztla = otra milpa que está a orillas de el río, que está en el paraje de los nopalares espinosos (Tepotzotlan, 1631)
ce granadas quahuitl yhuan ce nopanli = un árbol de granadas y una nopalera (Tlatelolco, 1609)
auh yn onca totoc nop[alli] nanauh cuemitl quicuizque = está sembrado nopales de grana, a cuatro surcos han de coger (Cholula, 1599)
nopalmilli = una milpa de nopales (Tulancingo, México, 1577)
nicnomaquillia ynochpotzin Ynes Maior quimopiliz tlapalnopalli chiconcuemitli ytepaco ualpeua Faltasar Teiztlaco catca = le doy a mi hijita Ynés mayor los nopales de grana, dos [sic pro: siete] camellones que empiezan a la linde de Baltazar Teyxtlaco que [e]ra
Tlapalnopalli parece indicar los nopales cultivados para obtener la tinta (i.e. nopales de grana de cochinilla).
oyetetl caltin centetlapancali ontetl xacaltin yoan in calacuemitl ypan mani tlapalnopali yoan metl ypan onoc yoan capolime yan onoc yoan capolime = dos aposentos, los de terrado y otro de jacale, y encima de la tierra [solariega] hay nopales de grana y magueyes y árboles de capulín (San Bartolomé Tenango, 1585)
nopaltepa = una cerca de nopales (San Agustín Acolman, 1731)
yuan ymetl yuan yn tlapalnopalli = y los magueyes y los nopales de grana (Santa Agueda Mixtetelco, sin fecha)