, but it would make a good snack for a hungry insect. We found one that had fallen to the ground and broke it open. I had always wondered what the fruit tastes like and I finally got to find out. I had to be very careful to hold it where there were no glochids, the tiny brown prickles. I scraped the dark pink pulp out with my teeth. Unfortunately, it was chock-full of seeds, so I didn't get to eat much of it. I guess I helped spread some more cactus when I spit the seeds out on the ground! The Native Americans once ate these fruits and they are still eaten by many animals.
Pea Family Las Cruces, NM (Aguirre Springs) Oct. 6, 2008 We saw lots of these plants growing along the Pine Tree trail.
I was fascinated by the interesting shapes of the seeds of this shrub. The coils and the small hairs help the seeds spread away from the plant.
