We've seen a lot of relatives in Big Bend!

When we filled out the paperwork for our back country kayak permits, we had to include name, address, etc.  When the park ranger heard our name, she said, "You have a good name for around here."  We had no idea what that might mean.

Then she explained that the most common cactus at Big Bend is the Engelmann prickly pear.  The scientific name is actually Opuntia Engelmannii.  We knew that Mark's grandfather had dropped the last "n" in their last name during World War II, so it looks like there is a well known botanist somewhere in the family!

We were excited to see some Engelmanns blooming in the Big Bend Ranch State Park.  They were beautiful amongst the wildflowers!

Looking at all those buds, these cactus look to be some of the showiest around when they are in full bloom.

The pears can grow to be huge.  You can see how big they are when compared to Denisa's hand.

But don't get your hand too close, because just like some of our other relatives, they have been known to bite.








The blooms are bright yellow with an iridescent red center.  These blooms only last a few days, and then they shrivel to a light pink that is still pretty in its own way.











 

Here's a picture with a combination of flowers and the spent blooms.






















And the final picture of this informative science lesson of the day, is a couple of nice looking Engelmanns enjoying a beautiful day in the desert.