Chain fruit cholla

On September 29th at the Lost Dutchman State Park east of Phoenix I photographed this Opuntia fulgida, known as chain fruit cholla and jumping cactus. That last name corresponds to the way the joints of this cactus break off so easily that they almost seem to jump onto anything that brushes against them; I’m here to tell you that on more than one occasion some small joints “jumped” onto my shoes and pants. Seen in profile behind the cactus is the Flat Iron Peak of the Superstition Mountains.

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This is another entry from the saw (as in the past tense of see) part of the see-saw that’s been oscillating between pictures from my trip to the American Southwest in late September and more-recent pictures showing what’s going on in Austin.

© 2014 Steven Schwartzman