July 2001 V.65, N.7 

      Such! A sharp pain in my leg just above the ankle warned me that I had just had a close encounter of the worst kind with a prickly pear cactus. A dozen barbed bristles had penetrated my sock and then my flesh. Carefully, I sought a safe place to sit down where I could protect my backside from attack and administer some first aid. Using the tweezers in my Swiss Army knife, I plucked the stinging miniature arrows from my skin.

      Cactus for many, the word evokes dry, sandy images of the American Southwest. But the above incident happened in West Virginia -- Mineral County to be exact. We had gone hiking in late June to see the brilliant yellow blooms of Opuntia humifusa, more commonly known as the prickly pear cactus or Indian fig. This cactus has large green pads about the size of a man's hand that are segmented together. The pads are actually flattened stems which are succulent and fleshy and armed with minute stinging bristles, or hairs, called glochidia, that painfully penetrate the skin. These bristles almost seem to shoot into their victim. Of course, they aren't launched, but they pierce human or animal skin at the slightest touch. Along with the pain, however, comes the pleasure of seeing the beautiful yellow flowers, some as broad as three inches across, that adorn the tops of the stems.

      The cacti prefer, but are not limited to, shale barrens, an unusual habitat that occurs in eastern West Virginia. These areas develop on steep southerly facing slopes. Often they are in the rain shadow of the Allegheny Mountains and receive less rainfall than areas farther east or west. Combine this with shale's inability to hold water and the heat from the southern sun and you have a very dry and hot microclimate that is ideal for the prickly pear cactus.

     The prickly pear is edible (that's why it has such an active defense system), and those with an adventurous appetite might like to try dining on this succulent cactus. The fruit, although rather flavorless, is palatable. The pads, or, more appropriately, the stems, are said to have a taste similar to green beans. They can be skinned and diced or cubed for salads or stews. Just be sure to remove all of the barbs before eating. Ouch! Please pass the tweezers!

      Nature lovers Raymond Burner and his wife, Shannon, of Keyser write a weekly nature and outdoor recreation column for The Mineral Daily News-Tribune.