POSTPOST OAKOAK SAVANNAHSAVANNAH WILDLIFER WILDLIFER June 2014 Information for landowners and hunters in and around the Post Oak Savannah Volume 6, number 2 all too short a date”. I never did like Shakespeare. Now that warmer temperatures are here, the only decent thing to do is go fishing and wait for Fall. Really though, temperatures have been quite seasonal so far and one only has to think back over the past few years to remember how bad it could be. Although a little low, rain- fall appears to be running close to average as well. After a good fall and winter (especially fall), we hit a bit of a dry spell in the spring until some big rains in May brought plen- ty of much-needed rainfall. Expect some dry spells over the long summer however. There have been a few more changes within the department to tell you about. After working for close to 40 years with Texas Parks and Wildlife, David Sierra retired from the de- partment in March. David spent the last 11 years working as the District Leader for the Post Oak Savannah and Black- land Prairie and will be missed. John Silovsky was recently hired as the new Wildlife Dis- trict 5 leader and started in mid-June. He previously worked for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism for over 20 years, most recently as the regional public lands supervisor, and has served on numerous boards and committees including the Kansas Prescribed Fire Coun- cil and the Kansas Forestry Association. We look forward to working with him. John can be reached at 903-566-1626 or at [email protected]. Photo by Billy Lambert I hope you enjoy the newsletter. As always, feel free to dis- SUMMER, GO AWAY tribute to any and all that are interested in reading it. Billy C. Lambert, Jr. Quotable Quote Remember last month when surprisingly cool temperatures moved through the Post Oak? Well, keep on remembering That the situation appears hopeless should not prevent us because it’s going to be a while before it happens again. from doing our best. William Shakespeare once wrote that “Summer’s lease hath Aldo Leopold If you would like to unsubscribe to this newsletter or if you received this e-mail from someone other than TPWD and would like to subscribe, please send an e-mail indicating such to [email protected] 2 Post Oak Savannah Wildlifer PLANT Profile Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifosa) Billy C. Lambert, Jr. Photo by Billy Lambert Some things you just can’t forget, whether you want to or The plant consists of a single broad and flattened stem that not. The exact year is in question, but it was either the develops at the ground surface with a fibrous and spreading spring of 1990 or 1991. A helicopter net-gunner had just root system. Additional pads, called nopales (immature shot a deer in a wide sendero in south Texas, but the net pads termed nopalitos), occur along the top of the original didn’t entangle the deer’s legs as intended and it was able stem and the oval-round pads are usually less than an inch to run into the brush dragging the net. Several of us on the thick and are 2-5 inches long by 1-5 inches wide. Pads that ground crew took off on foot to get the deer before it was become detached and fall from the plant can create new able to work its way out from under the net. Remember roots and generate a new plant. The hairless pads are green how you’re not supposed to run with scissors? Well, you in color and prickly pear maintains its color throughout the probably shouldn’t run through prickly-pear-infested brush- year, thus making it a popular choice in ornamental and land either. cactus gardens. Just as I was approaching the deer, it zigged when I zagged, and I managed to end up sprawled out head-first in a prick- ly pear clump the size of a small house. The most painful part of the ordeal, though, was looking up at the hovering helicopter and seeing the ear-to-ear grin of the gunner. If you’ve never dropped your britches in the middle of no- where to pull cactus thorns, you probably haven’t spent enough time in south Texas. Prickly pear are a group of cacti consisting of approximate- ly 59 species native to North and South America, but wide- ly distributed around the world. Depending on which taxo- nomic reference you look at, there are 28 species of prickly pear found in the United States, with 13 to 20 species found in Texas. Because different species are able to hybridize, differentiating specific prickly pear species becomes even more problematic. Eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) is a perennial suc- culent commonly found throughout East Texas and the Post Oak Savannah, and ranges from Montana down to New Mexico in the west over to New York and Florida in the east. Smaller than many of its counterparts found in other parts of the Texas, eastern prickly pear commonly grows at a height of less than 2 feet and does not have the thorn den- sity of many of the other prickly pear species. It also tends to occur more as a solitary plant (or in small clusters), alt- hough large and sometimes dense colonies can develop over time. Photo by Billy Lambert 3 Post Oak Savannah Wildlifer Small air holes or pores, called areoles, are distributed or immature pads, reportedly are more desirable than older across the surface of the pads in a liner pattern and at these more mature pads. The fruit is also edible and, depending locations are where the leaves, spines, and bristles occur. on ripeness, can range in flavor from bitter to sweet. Even Leaves, only 1 per areole, are green or brown in color, do higher in carbohydrate than the pads, the fruits are also not persist very long on the plant, and are only 1/8”-1/4” high in Vitamin C. Archeological evidence and examina- long. In addition to the leaves, each areole is surrounded tion of coprolites (dried-up-people-poop) has shown that by a cluster of sharp, barbed, brown bristles roughly 1/8” prickly pear has been a significant food source for people in size. And, although not every areole has spines, up to 2 for hundreds of years. spines that range from ½”-4” can occur. A serious word of caution, however, is to be sure to com- Flowering occurs during late spring/early summer and pletely remove the outer skin of both the pads and fruits lasts for 2-4 weeks, although each diurnal flower for a par- before eating to remove thorns. Failure to do so, as docu- ticular plant only lasts for a single day during full bloom. mented by many, including accounts by Spanish explorers, The 2-3” flowers occur along the top margin of the pad could result in significant throat irritation and swelling, and are yellow/gold in color with several tepals. The inner sometimes resulting in death. A much safer alternative is surface of the tepals near the center of the flower are fre- to buy spineless cactus that is now available at many su- quently orange in color. Each flower gives rise to a fruit, permarkets. or tuna, that is red or brownish-red in color and is 1-2” long at maturity. The fruits persist through the year and In addition to simple consumption, prickly pear also ap- contain up to 50 seeds. pears to have medicinal value. Consumption of nopalitos, for example, shows promise in the prevention and control Eastern prickly pear is very opportunistic and can grow of Type II diabetes. Other potential benefits include treat- under a variety of conditions, from open prairies and ment of urinary tract infections, reduction in the effects of grasslands to woodlands. Although it does best in full insulin shock, burn treatment, treatment of scar tissue, and sunlight, it does have some shade tolerance. Likewise, even treatment of swollen prostate (although I’d recom- sandy or well-drained soils seem to be preferred, but not mend that you check with a doctor first before you stuff exclusively, and many plants can he found on heavier some cactus…well, never mind). Prickly pear also seems soils. Prickly pear does not do well in bottomland habitats to have antibiotic properties as well as the ability to lower that frequently flood. The plant is drought tolerant and cholesterol. also is able to withstand the cold temperatures of winter. Because of its many uses and value, both to humans as As eastern prickly pear is not as invasive as some of the well as to wildlife, the state legislature in 1995 declared other species occurring around the state, control measures the prickly pear as the official state plant of Texas. In the typically are not needed. Besides, prickly pear is a very same year, it was also proposed as the official state vege- beneficial wildlife plant. Plus, many have learned the hard table/fruit but did not make it past committee. Although way that shredding a prickly pear patch tends to make the prickly pear is the official state plant, it was named so matters worse as many of the fallen pads are able to root by House Concurrent Resolution and does not appear in to make new plants. Livestock usually avoid prickly pear Texas Statutes. due to the spines.