Editing Eastern Prickly Pear (section)

===== April 15, 2012 =====

On April 15, 2012, I conducted a field exploration along a section of the Metacomet Trail in Plainville that followed the same route taken by Wood during his 2007 hike.  Within approximately 1/4-mile of hiking, I discovered a sandy, sun-baked ledge adjacent to the trail upon which there were several ''O. humifusa''.  In all likelihood, this colony is the same one that Wood documented five years earlier, owing to the apparent health of these cacti.

During that same field exploration, I carefully explored several other ledges (over the course of approximately 1.25 miles) which seemed to present a habitat similar to that of the ledge with the confirmed cactus colony.  I was unable to document any further colonies of ''O. humifusa'' along the Metacomet Trail.