CACTUS FAMILY 



CACTACEAE 



PRICKLY PEAR 



Opuntia Rafinesquii Engelm. 



The Cactus family is strictly American in distribution 

 and is largely confined to the desert regions of North and 

 South America. The members assume a variety of shapes, 



from fiat and sprawling to erect 

 and polelike, some at least 25 

 feet high. 



Leaves of the Cactus, in all 

 but certain tropical species, come 

 out tiny and fleshy but soon drop 

 off and are replaced by prickles or 

 spines. 



The only Illinois Cactus is the 

 Prickly Pear, growing in dry sandy 

 or rocky soil and blooming in the 

 middle of summer. It is found from 

 Ohio to Minnesota and south to 

 Kentucky and Texas. 



This is a prostrate plant with 

 very fleshy branching stems made 

 up of flattened joints, one of which 

 is shown. The leaves are very 

 small and awl shaped and soon fall 

 off", but the stems are a deep green 

 and carry on the work of food manu- 

 facture. In the axils of the leaves are 

 clusters of short barbed bristles and 

 often longer spines as well. The 

 bristles are bright reddish brown 

 and the spines are whitish but may be red at base and tip. 



The large brilliant flowers are yellow but often have a reddish 

 center. They open only in sunshine, but for several days in 

 succession. The flower parts are attached above the ovary. 

 The green sepals are numerous and spreading and there are lo 

 or 12 petals. Stamens are very numerous and arranged in 

 several rows. There is only i style but several stigmas. The 

 ovary matures into a pear-shaped, fleshy and edible berry nearly 

 2 inches long. 



204 



