I took this picture of a Cholla (pronounced choi-ah) cactus behind Son Sneed's house.
Like all cacti, the Cholla family has spines rather than leaves to minimize transpiration. To compensate for its lack of leaves, the plant's skin is green to aid photosynthesis. In addition, it has shallow roots to increase its efficiency in utilizing rainfall and a waxy skin to retain moisture.
Cholla is a very scary plant, often known as a jumping cactus. It doesn't actually jump, it just seems like it does. It has adapted to reproduce by developing segmented arms. A passing animal or person that brushes it, gets a segment affixed to them. A very painful segment.
Nature's plan is for the segment to drop off or be rubbed off by the carrier away from the host plant. If the segment falls on suitable ground, it will take root and form a new plant.
Is nature amazing?
I know that most of the Sneed blog readers don't give a rat's behind about golf, but if you get the Golf Channel on your local cable system, look for a program called Uneven Fairways. It is just one hour, but it gives an amazing look at the African-Americans who were denied the chance to play on the Professional Golf Association tour.
Pro football had black players as far back as the 20s and Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in the 40s. It wasn't until 1962 that the PGA eliminated their "whites only" rule. Many fine golfers were denied the right to pursue their dream because of bigotry and ignorance.
Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky
Feb 16, 2009
Cholla
I took this picture of a Cholla (pronounced choi-ah) cactus behind Son Sneed's house.
Like all cacti, the Cholla family has spines rather than leaves to minimize transpiration. To compensate for its lack of leaves, the plant's skin is green to aid photosynthesis. In addition, it has shallow roots to increase its efficiency in utilizing rainfall and a waxy skin to retain moisture.
Cholla is a very scary plant, often known as a jumping cactus. It doesn't actually jump, it just seems like it does. It has adapted to reproduce by developing segmented arms. A passing animal or person that brushes it, gets a segment affixed to them. A very painful segment.
Nature's plan is for the segment to drop off or be rubbed off by the carrier away from the host plant. If the segment falls on suitable ground, it will take root and form a new plant.
Is nature amazing?
I know that most of the Sneed blog readers don't give a rat's behind about golf, but if you get the Golf Channel on your local cable system, look for a program called Uneven Fairways. It is just one hour, but it gives an amazing look at the African-Americans who were denied the chance to play on the Professional Golf Association tour.
Pro football had black players as far back as the 20s and Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in the 40s. It wasn't until 1962 that the PGA eliminated their "whites only" rule. Many fine golfers were denied the right to pursue their dream because of bigotry and ignorance.
Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky
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13 comments:
Ouch!!
You've given your blog a new look in the font line Merle, it looks good.
Ms Soup
Good catch, Ms soup!
Why is it that inclusivity is always the last thing to catch on?
I've never run across any cholla, but it looks pretty and unusual.
but do you have spanish bayonet? I sadly ran across that plant in the Mojave. Ouch.
i enjoy rolling a golf ball around the house.
i would trade you a rat's behind for a golf ball.
Nature is amazing. Nature in the desert seems especially brutal. Keep those jumping plants away from me, puh-lease!
Playing golf takes money.
I never have had much luck growing cacti inside and a few years ago I abandoned even trying.... as far as outside cacti, since moving from texas I've never lived in an environment suitable....but I find cacti to be interesting and beautiful ...this one does look particularly painful though!
do people give rats' asses? where do they get them? now it would be interesting to find out about the origins of this expression!
I never have had much luck growing cacti inside and a few years ago I abandoned even trying.... as far as outside cacti, since moving from texas I've never lived in an environment suitable....but I find cacti to be interesting and beautiful ...this one does look particularly painful though!
do people give rats' asses? where do they get them? now it would be interesting to find out about the origins of this expression!
Darn Country Clubs!
My skin is green and waxy in the morning.
I don't give a rat's behind about golf but H does. I'll give him the word.
Kim and All,
See my next posting regsrds Kim's question.
I'm not a big fan of cacti, but if I lived in Arizona, I might have to reconsider.
When I was growing up in the Florida panhandle, two of my favorite people at our country club were Jimmy and Johnny, who were African American. They didn't play golf, but rather worked in the clubhouse making food for hungry golfers. There were black caddies as well, but no one could have imagined a black golfer in the 60's, at least not playing at that club.
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