Gordon Beningfield (British, 1936 - 1998) "Prickly Pear" Signed lower right. Original Water Color painting on Water Color Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 29c Prickly Pear stamp issued July 24, 1992. One of the widest-ranging Opuntia species, plains prickly pear occurs from Mexico to the Arctic Circle. Found in dry soils of plains, deserts and pinon-juniper woodlands, plains prickly pear forms a prostrate, spreading mat or clump of flat, oval jointed stems. The pale green or yellowish pads turn reddish in response to extreme heat or cold. Rarely growing more than six in high, plains prickly pear often is hidden by taller grasses or covered by sand. The waxy yellow flowers bloom from May to July. In Colorado and farther north, the flowers tend to be more pink or reddish. Plains prickly pear spreads abundantly on overgrazed lands. Although considered a nuisance by ranchers, prickly pears have long been a staple in the diets of Southwestern and Mexican people. After the spines are removed, young prickly pear pads -- called nopalitas -- can be cooked and eaten as vegetables. Image Size: 7 x 6 in. Overall Size: 12 x 11.5 in. Unframed. (B12768)