Prickly pear

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/prickly-pear

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Opuntia
2. What is the origin?The Americas, with significant domestication and cultivation originating in Mesoamerica
3. What is a prickly pear cactus?A prickly pear cactus is a plant that looks like a cactus but also has a yummy fruit called tuna. Its flat pads act like leaves and store water so it can survive in hot, dry places.
4. Why does a prickly pear have spines?The spines keep animals from eating the plant by making it hard to touch. They also trap a layer of air and help collect dew, which gives the cactus extra water.

Xerophyte: A plant adapted to survive in an environment with little available water, such as a desert.
Cladode: A flattened, photosynthetic stem of a cactus, often resembling a leaf.
Glochids: Minute, barbed spines characteristic of Opuntia cacti, easily detached and causing irritation.
Biological Control: The use of natural predators or parasites to control populations of invasive species.