114 THE FANTASTIC CLAN 



with distinctive "pancakelike" greenish joints, about the size 

 of a medium-sized meat platter, but somewhat elliptical and 

 ascending from the base. The general color of this plant 

 Is greenish. Its spicules are abundant In fringes along the 

 joints, colored orange-yellow or brownish, while the four 

 spines are awl-shaped with purplish and tawny yellow bodies, 

 and slightly banded. The brilliant satiny yellow flowers are 

 large and very showy. They have the curious characteris- 

 tic of changing to orange In the afternoon and orange-red 

 in the evening, and are a little less than five Inches in width 

 and length. The plant blossoms in May and June, and the 

 pear-shaped purple fruit comes In July. 



How to grow 



Treat cuttings in all respects as Opuntia discata. EngeU 

 mannii are not Injured by zero temperatures. 



Long Spined Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrocentra) 



(The name macrocentra refers to the long spines) 



How to identify and how it grows 



The Long Spined Prickly Pear is a plant about three feet 

 tall growing from stems which ascend from the base. These 

 joints are about the size of a man's hand, circular or egg- 

 shaped, and are of a dull olive-green suffused with purple, 

 sometimes purple throughout. This plant has a system of 

 spicules and spines arranged much In the usual cactus fashion. 

 The spicules are formed In bundles, generally crescent-shaped 

 and red-brown or tawny. The young spines are a deep red- 

 purple, while the older spines are often cross-banded, purple- 

 brown, reddish, or nearly black, three inches long, or longer, 

 fierce and needlelike and sometimes twisted. The flowers, 

 about three inches long and broad, are yellow with bright red 

 or orange-red centers which make them quite attractive. 

 The pink-purple fruit Is elliptical and comes in July ; the fruit- 

 meat is light greenish. 



