This stamp booklet celebrates the beauty of cacti, flowering perennial succulents that are abundant in the Southwest and other parts of the world. Most cacti grow very slowly and are tough, adaptable and low maintenance.
Cactus flowers are often large and flamboyant, with colors of white, red, pink, orange or yellow. Some flowers are also richly scented, and the nectar and colors attract pollinators such as bats, bees and birds.
These stamps celebrate the beauty of the cactus flower; each stamp features a photograph of one of these ten cacti flowers:
Known as the Texas rainbow cactus, it is oval at first, soon becoming cylindrical, and grows to 15 inches or so, with a 4-inch diameter. The stems commonly remain single, but old plants sometimes branch and form several heads. Each head has 12-21 narrow ribs. Fifteen to 25 spines grow out of the areoles, spreading widely and intertwining with those of other areoles. Flowers are about 3-6 inches long and are pale yellow to orange. Petals are quite long and pointed. Outer petals are sometimes tinged with magenta on the outside, and inner petals are streaked with green on the inside. The base of the petals is green. The stamens are cream- colored.
