Location:      North America, Southern Parts

Season:        Summer

Category:      Plant

Explanation:

 There are several species within the genus Opuntia that are commonly known as Prickly Pear Cactus. All have fleshy green pads up to six inches across spotted with long thorns. The cactuses grow by sprouting buds along the margin of the pads. Some of these buds grow into additional pads and some develop into flowers--usually yellow, sometimes white or even red (depending on the species and subspecies). As these flowers open and mature, their bases become fat, juicy, red fruit. There are representatives of the species phaeacantha, violaceae, and lindheimeri. They occur sprinkled here and there across the grassy areas, and also within the woods.

http://space-ecology.org/flora_catalogue.php

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              The Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa) with its beatuiful yellow flowers is an endangered species. The Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus occurs in the United States from New England and Wisconsin south to Texas and Florida. In Canada, it only occurs in southwestern Ontario. By 1985, the plant was only found in Point Pelee National Park (where the population was fairly extensive and consisted of thousands of plants), and three other locations where the populations were small and vulnerable. Since then, the plants at two of the small sites have been determined to be transplants from Point Pelee. The third small site is in a very precarious state.

< Picture of yellow >

http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/Images/Photos/spp188p1.jpg

http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/search/speciesDetails_e.cfm?SpeciesID=188

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 Worldwide use:

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Things found on the way: 

To show the importance of this cactus in American life, there are some fun products with it, I am sure there are more.

http://www.rubylane.com/shops/silverann/item/ER-LMP-PRKP

There is a little keyholder and a double-switch plate with this cactus:

http://www.acaciart.com/galleries/southwest/swm202.html

http://www.acaciart.com/galleries/southwest/swm702.html

A towel holder and even a toilet-paper roll holder with this cactus:

http://www.acaciart.com/products/?Cat=ol

There is American Origami, with our prickly pear as one example:

http://www.engarde.com/~dmn/diana/origami.html

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 And its edible:

Syrup and Jelly

Like other cactus, most prickly pears and chollas have large spines -- actually modified leaves -- growing from tubercles -- small, wart-like projections -- on their stems. But members of the Opuntia genus are unique because of their clusters of fine, tiny, barbed spines called glochids. Found just above the cluster of regular spines, glochids are yellow or red in color and detach easily from the pads. Glochids are often difficult to see and more difficult to remove, once lodged in the skin.

The fruits of most prickly pears are edible and sold in stores under the name "tuna." Prickly pear branches (the pads) are also cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They, too, are sold in stores under the name "Nopalito." Because of the glochids, great care is required when harvesting or preparing prickly pear cactus. Both fruits and pads of the prickly pear cactus are rich in slowly absorbed soluble fibers that may help keep blood sugar stable.

http://www.desertusa.com/magoct97/oct_pa/du_prkpear.html

Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Puree of the Napa Valley

http://tinyurl.com/3dq3w

Haiku:

first light
thin dew on the spines
of the prickly pear
         gK © 2004.04.22

 cramming for midterms
 but missing his abuela's
 grilled nopalitos

gK © 2004.05.06

A spanglish haiku. Abuela = grandmother, nopales = edible prickly pear catus pads, nopalitos=little nopales. Spanglish is the mix of Spanish and English

the new widow
prickly pear cactus
where tomatoes once grew

gK © 2003.01.31