USEFUL WILD PLANTS 



tnanni and 0. Lindheimeri (the last abundant in 

 Southern California) are especially valued. Better 

 than these, however, are certain species introduced 

 a century or more ago by the Franciscan Mis- 

 sionaries from Mexico, the motherland of the cacti. 

 These are Opuntia Tuna, Mill., and 0. Ficus-Indica, 

 Mill., and they now grow wild in many parts of Cal- 

 ifornia, especially about the old Mission towns, the 

 fruit being annually harvested by the Mexican pop- 

 ulation. (See illustration facing page 18.) 



The gatherer of tunas is faced by two difficulties 

 the rigid, needle-like spines that bristle on all sides 

 of the plant, and the small tufts of tiny spicules that 

 stud the fruit itself. The latter are really the more 

 dangerous, because a touch transfers them from the 

 tuna to the picker's flesh, there to stick and prick 

 wickedly. If they happen to get into the mouth or 

 upon the tongue, the pain is persistent and agonizing. 

 With care, however, nothing of that sort need 

 happen. Armed with a fork and a sharp knife, you 

 spear your tuna firmly with the fork, give it a wrench 

 and complete the parting from the stem by a slash 

 of the knife. The next step is to peel the "pear," 

 which is made up of a pulpy, seedy heart enveloped 

 in an inedible rind. This may be readily got rid of 

 in the following way: Handling the tuna with a 



108 



