210 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SHRUBS 



/v^;^-v. 



Fig. 333.— Eastern Prickly Pear. 



Fig. 33i. — Western Prickly Pear. 





%n''4^i^ 



1 



»• 







S 





Fig. 335. — Purple Cactus. 



which are trees in size and plan 

 of branching, so a few words 

 will be given to them. They 

 can all be readily recognized 

 by their fleshy spine-covered 

 growth without foliage leaves. 

 The most abundant and hardy 

 group is the Prickly 'Pear,' 

 with flat jointed branching 

 stems and large, generally yel- 

 low, flowers followed by usu- 

 ally edible pulpy pear-like fruit 

 with many shining seeds. The 

 largest and most tree-like is 

 wild in the region of the 

 Rocky Mountains, Tree-like 

 PiMCKLY ' Peau ' — Opuntia ar- 

 bor^scens. Easteux Prickly 

 ' 1'kar ' (333) — Opuntia vulgaris 

 — is found from Massachusetts 

 and south. There are sev- 



