Prickly Pear Cactus
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you can always change, become a better version of yourself :-)
― Madonna
I never thought I would be quoting Madonna :-)
opuntia, Scheer prickly pear cactus, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, Raleigh, north carolina
this prickly pear blossom in the Arizona Cactus Garden at Stanford University wanted her portrait from her best side. This one is straight from the camera.
So, Okay, the flowers come in different colors..;) I saw this one on my morning walk and since I take my phone with me when I walk, I just had to get one more pic of these guys during there short flowering season
- As Today is the last of The Winter Days of 2019, we are all taking a last look at The Snow Caps, Desert Ridge, AZ. -
interesting only when you tangle with it in the wrong way :-)
Edward Abbey, "Cliffrose and Bayonets," Desert Solitaire, 1968
HBW! HGGT! Truth Matters!! looks rather sharp in large ;-)
www.flickr.com/photos/itucker/51174589102/in/photostream/...
opuntia, prickly pear cactus, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Even cactus bears flowers.
It won't prick you unless you touch it.🌵
So does life is!
Don't poke it to poke you back.
-Window Panes
Thanks for your visit and taking the time to comment so I can visit your photos, too... very much appreciated! Have a great day!
Beautiful morning light along the shore of Canyon Lake on the famous Apache Trail.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by.
Copyright 2016 © Merilee Phillips.
All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved.
This is the only time of year these plants look pretty. Here's what the Internet says
The fruit of prickly pears, commonly called cactus fruit, cactus fig, Indian[8] fig, nopales[9] or tuna in Spanish,[10] is edible, although it must be peeled carefully to remove the small spines on the outer skin before consumption. If the outer layer is not properly removed, glochids can be ingested, causing discomfort of the throat, lips, and tongue, as the small spines are easily lodged in the skin. Native Americans, like the Tequesta, would roll the fruit around in a suitable medium (e.g. grit) to "sand" off the glochids. Alternatively, rotating the fruit in the flame of a campfire or torch has been used to remove the glochids. Today, parthenocarpic (seedless) cultivars are also available.
In Mexico, prickly pears are often used to make appetizers, soups, and salads through entrees, vegetable dishes, and breads to desserts, beverages, candy, jelly, or drinks. The young stem segments, usually called nopales, are also edible in most species of Opuntia.[9] They are commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes such as huevos con nopales (eggs with nopal), or tacos de nopales. Nopales are also an important ingredient in New Mexican cuisine.
Opuntia contains a range of phytochemicals in variable quantities, such as polyphenols, dietary minerals and betalains. Identified compounds under basic research include gallic acid, vanillic acid and catechins, as examples.[14] The Sicilian prickly pear contains betalain, betanin, and indicaxanthin, with highest levels in their fruits.[16]
In Mexican folk medicine, its pulp and juice are considered treatments for wounds and inflammation of the digestive and urinary tracts.[17]
This pretty lady was busy feeding on the nectar of flowering prickly pear cactus. I loved the pretty desert landscape.
in my side garden...
You must look with your eyes, not with your hands.... these cactus have tiny hairs that stick you and you can't see them to remove....
Galapagos Islands
Off The Coast Of Equador
South America
Santa Fe Island
The Barrington Land Iguana or Santa Fe Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus) is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family. It is one of three species of Conolophus. It is endemic to Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos.
The Barrington Land Iguana is similar in every detail to the Galapagos Land Iguana except that the Barrington Island Iguana is paler yellow in color with a longer more tapered snout and more pronounced dorsal spines. The Barrington Land Iguana grows to a length of three feet with a body weight of up to twenty-five pounds.
Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun basking on volcanic rock and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat. These iguanas also enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the island's finches; the birds remove parasites and ticks providing relief to the iguana and food for the birds.
Barrington Land iguanas are primarily herbivorous, however some individuals have shown that they are opportunistic carnivores supplementing their diet with insects, centipedes and carrion. Because fresh water is scarce on the islands it inhabits, the Land Iguana obtains the majority of its moisture from the prickly-pear cactus that makes up 80% of its diet: fruit, flowers, pads, and even spines. During the rainy season it will drink from available standing pools of water and feast on yellow flowers of the Genus Portulaca. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. - Source Wikipedia
in my side garden...
You must look with your eyes, not with your hands.... these cactus have tiny hairs that stick you and you can't see them to remove....
These prickly pear flowers are vibrant and come in various colors, usually blooming in spring and summer, adding beauty and softness to the prickly cactus. Have a beautiful and colorful Friday! 🌼
On/Off - Thank you very much for your visit and for taking the time to comment! Much appreciated!
Genovesa Mockingbird on prickly pear
See my 2021 Peru and Ecuador & Galapagos Islands album
www.flickr.com/photos/25171569@N02/albums/72157720135887081
for all uploads to date
iNaturalist link www.inaturalist.org/observations/143492734
Jenny Pansing photos
A Lark Sparrow with its distinctive head pattern forages near Prickly Pear cactus, a plant indicative of the generally open, dry habitat this bird species prefers. This individual was observed in Dinosaur Provincial Park in southern Alberta, Canada.
in my side garden...
You must look with your eyes, not with your hands.... these cactus have tiny hairs that stick you and you can't see them to remove....
The only native cactus found in New York State. I decided to use a higher aperture because wanted bring out some detail surrounding the bloom.
I hope everyone enjoys this image! :D
I've been ignoring the prickly pear cactus up until this morning. The light was good, and the wind was behaving itself.
This is 15 images focus stacked (Helicon Focus) and then processed with a touch of oil filter for an artsy effect
"Let all nations know that Thou art God alone, and that Jesus Christ is Thy Son, and that we are Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture."
— St. Clement