112 THE FANTASTIC CLAN 



Cow's Tongue; Lengua de Vaca (Opuntia 



linguiformis) 



(All three names refer to the characteristic tongue-shaped 

 joints) 



How to identify and how it grows 



The Cow's Tongue is an oddly formed Prickly Pear which 

 grows tongue-shaped joints a foot to thirty inches long. 

 These flattened, tongue-shaped joints are about as wide as 

 a man's hand and a little thinner, covered with well spaced 

 spicules and spines. The edges of the joints are also fringed 

 with needlelike thorns which are dangerous to handle. These 

 light greenish stems or joints form into thickets growing 

 from three to five feet high and creating a very good hedge. 

 The spicules are a light yellowish; some of the spines are a 

 straw color, and it is to be noted that about half of them are 

 a pale purple and brown, not more than two inches long, the 

 spicules about half as long. The flowers are about the diam- 

 eter of a large cup and are very showy, of a beautiful satiny 

 yellowish hue. The fruit is light purple, the flesh greenish, 

 ripening in July. 



This odd-looking cactus may be easily recognized among 

 all other Prickly Pears by its characteristic tongue-shaped 

 joints. 



How to grow 



Plants are not injured in outdoor zero temperatures, but 

 for colder weather they should be covered or grown indoors. 

 They grow readily from cuttings set about six inches deep in 

 moist soil and watered lightly bi-weekly during the growing 

 season. Cuttings should remain out of the ground for two 

 weeks in shade before planting, to callus over the cut ends. 

 Almost any kind of soil will answer. 



