Texture Tuesday: Rough

This is the decaying pad of a prickly pear (opuntia) cactus. I've been fascinated by this plant for months, but have not posted any photos until today. Texture, the theme for Tuesdays (carried over from chantler's August challenge), is abundant in this photo. The fibers that give the pad its structure are coarse and densely interwoven, and are suggestive of burlap when seen in person. The green covering and spines have long ago been sloughed from the surface, leaving this feat of nature's engineering to be seen. I like to think of this as the "skeleton" of the plant.

The prickly pear cactus is part of the food culture of Mexico, and the produce is often seen in local markets. The fleshy leaves are called nopalitos, while the much smaller and reddish colored fruit are called tunas. Prickly pear is reputed to have beneficial effects on many conditions including diabetes, intestinal problems, high cholesterol, weight loss, and as a hangover cure. Who knew?