Mosaic Monday
Hosted by Mary at the Little Red House
The lotus flower grows in muddy waters. It rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. In the evenings, the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again.
The flower is untouched by the impurity. It symbolizes the purity of heart and mind. The lotus flower represents long life, health, honor and good luck.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Opuntia
Subgenus: Opuntia
Opuntia cacti also called prickly pear or nopales are native to almost the entire United States. One common factor with the Opuntia cactus is that they have ‘pads’ which are joined together giving them the common name of bunnies ears.
The flat and fleshy pads look like large leaves. They are modified branches or stems that serve as water storage, photosynthesis and flower production.
The fruits of most prickly pears are edible and sold in stores under the name “tuna.”
Cactus figs are often used to make candies and jelly and a drink.
In May or June, the prickly pears bloom. Each pad produces several flowers, and when the blooms fade they give way to red, fleshy fruit. The fruit will stay on the plant until it is picked by man, animal or bird.
I am linking this post to:
hosted by
Luiz Santilli, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Valkyrien
and
Blogging for Fun, hosted by Melissa
Our Fun Friday group started an A to Z meme. Today’s topic is the letter O for Opuntia.