North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>]

http://www.succulent-plant.com/crecipe.html

The link above is a page on cactus recipes.  It says all opunita species
are edible (non-toxic).  It says the prickly pear cactus is the state
fruit of Texas!  Of interest to the current discussion...

"Texas A&M in Kingsville, TX has done extensive work on a cultivar
designated as the 1308 which is spineless, resists cold weather and
contains less mucilage."

http://www.arizonacactus.com/nopal.htm
This page shows how to fillet a cactus pad.

http://www.mesagarden.com/index.html
These guys have a huge selection of cactus seeds at a reasonable price.

-Mark Lee