"K" wrote in message
...
michael adams writes


I've got some really old opuntia microdasys with very long chains
of pads, all grown from seed. And as you know the spines are
in the glochids, the brown felty buttons. You can brush
against them without noticing, and only afterwards do you
notice the irritation on your skin.

By which time you've transferred them from the original site to every
intimate part of your body.

Speak for yourself.

No, they actually irritate the skin on the hands. More especially
the backs of the hands and the fingers. Don't ask me how they get
there. Within a very short time as well.

The most troublesome cacti IMO but not iritating are one variety
with prominent tubercles which have hooked spines and produce lots of
offsets. They were originally from mixed seed and are either dilicothele
(sp)
or m.longimamma (sp). It's impossibe to brush against them wearing a
jumper without carrying off at least one offset which is then like
disgorging (or whatever it is they do) a fish. All cacti with
hooked spines can be a pain in fact. Its just that as the ones
with plentiful offests are so easy to propagate there are far
more of them in various stages of growth to get in the way.
Its easy to see how they get carried around on animal's coats.


michael adams

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Kay