210 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SHRUBS 



Fig. 333. — Eastern Prickly Pear. Fig. 334. — Westeru Prickly Pear. 





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 

 Prickly ' Peau ' — Opuntia ar- 

 bor^scens. Eastern Prickly 

 ; Pkar ' (333) —Opuntia vulgaris 

 — is found from Massachusetts 

 and south. There are sev- 



