Plains Prickly Pear Cactus with red fruit
Flowers April to June 2 inch flowers have waxy sheen. Fruit is fleshy and many seeded. Plains prickly-pear is an important food of the black tailed prairie dog, Native Americans ate plains prickly pear fruit raw, dried, or cooked. Fruit was piled on the ground and stirred with branches, rolled or singed with hot coals to remove spines, then split and dried. The flesh of plains prickly-pear was used as a binding agent in garment and weapon making. Ripe fruits were used for dye. The cactus is a member of the Cactaceae family. It is native to the Americas. Cacti are adapted to hot and arid environments.
Size: 5100px × 3414px
Photo credit: © Donald L Fackler Jr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: cactacae, cacti, cactus, fruit, needle, opuntia, pear, plains, point, polyacantha, prick, prickly, red, sharp, spine
