2 June 2008
Hairs or spines?
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti .
This is the trunk of my large Opuntia leucotricha. The spines continue to grow as the plant ages, and eventually form this dense covering on old stems.
In contrast to their stiffness when they first appear, in age the spines are very flexible, but it’s still best to avoid getting punctured by too many of them in one go.