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Introduction
Purple Prickly Pear The Purple Prickly Pear's scientific name is Optunia violocea. It belongs to the cactus family. You can find this plant in arid deserts. It is one of the most beautiful sights to see when there is fruit. |
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The adaptations
Its first adaptation is its edible fruit. When an animal comes along and eats it and then defecates, the seeds that were in the fruit get dropped and fertilized at the same time. The flat stems point in different directions so that they all get sunlight and shade spread out through the day. This helps to keep the cactus cool. It has little stiff
spines called glochids. They
help prevent animals from
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Ethnobiology
The native americans used the plant's fruit for face paint. They where able to make a red and pink color paint out of the fruit. They also could eat the fruit. |
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Questions
1. How fast does it take for prickly pair to grow to the maximum size? 2. How much water does it need in a year? |
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Bibliography
Felger, Richard Stephen, People of the Desert and Sea, The University of the Arizona Press, 1985. Nelson, Richard and Sharon, Easy Field Guide To common Desert Cactus, Primer Publisher, 1996 |
| Authors | Jason A. Blake D. |