269. PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS (_Opuntia_ Sp.) a shrub, common in meadows and
dry woods. Branches (joints): broad, flat, green, spiny and somewhat
leaflike. True LEAVES: small, fleshy, thick scales, early deciduous.
Flowers: 2 to 5 inches across, having many glossy, yellow petals and
numerous stamens. Fruit: reddish, prickly, about an inch across and
slightly longer. This shrub is a valued forage crop in many parts of
western Texas, after the spines have been burned off with a blow torch.