are all Opuntias. 
Opuntia arbor e scen s is a shrub attaining 5-6 feet in 
height. It has cylindrical branches with each season's 
growth 5-6 inches long. Each spine is covered with a 
straw colored sheath that later comes off leaving the 
spine clean. Therefore this is a ”choila M . None of the 
prickly pears have this spine sheath. Larger plants 
flower freely and present a macs of large purple flowers. 
The fruit which follows : : s bright ve3 low and an inch in 
diameter. It remains attached and in full color a year 
or more. This is an excellent cactus, showy as largo 
plants but attractive also as a smaller potted plant. 
Technically the slight tuber cuter- are close set. Each 
tubercule has 8-30 spines with 1-8 considerably longer so 
that spines bristle in every direction. Fruit is tuber- 
culed and spiny. Seeds are large and whitish. 
Opuntia polycantha , prickly pear. This is naturally a 
creeping plant 6 inches high and several feet in diameter. 
It is made up cf series of flue oval ste:.n A -6 inches 
long. There are several small white spines and several 
longer brown ones,.all pointing down. The large flowers 
are clear yellow. This is und'u.btedly the hardies 4 " cactus 
found from hot deserts to almost the Canadian Bolder . 
Technically this species I? distinguished by heavy spines, 
yellow flowers followed by a dry fruit in which the 
whitish seeds are so crowded as to be out of shape. 
Opunti a hum !fusa is similar to the above with orange- 
yellow flower's. It has fewer spines and the color is a 
bright green, unlike other cacti. This cactus is natural¬ 
ly a lover of a. more humid climate than ours and is 
hardy. Technically, in addition tc the above the speci.es 
is distinguished by the fruit. This is purple, fleshy, 
and filled with a purple pulp in which the seeds are em¬ 
bedded. The fruit is quite edible. 
Opun tia rhodantha is indistinguishable from O*polycantha 
except In flower. The flower is purple red with red 
stamens and is very attractive. This species Is not as 
common as the others in the wild but Is vigorous and hardy 
