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Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia
33.1559, -97.0143
Field Notes
Description:
This cactus was low growing with a rather sprawling habit and sparse branching. It was growing in dappled shade alongside a path in a wooded area.
What I found most interesting was last seasons yellow fruit with new pads growing from their top.
Habitat:
Riparian woodland along Lake Lewisville.
Notes:
The prickly pear cactus was designated the official plant symbol of Texas in 1995. Found in the deserts of the American southwest, the fruits of most prickly pear cacti are edible, and have been a source of food to native Americans for thousands of years. Cacti in general (and the fruits in particular) are still staple foods for some residents of Mexico and Latin America and the prickly pear cactus is raised commercially. The fruit is sold under the name "Tuna"; the branches or pads are eaten as a vegetable, called "nopalito" or "nopales."
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