Where it Grows: Otahkoottsis thrives on sandy, arid soil that faces south.

How to Identify: The plant has no leaves, and the stem is shaped like a flat beaver tail covered with spines. The fruit is either yellow, orange, or red and is around 2.5 cm long.

Blackfoot: Ohktowatsis

The juices of the Otahkoottsis stem were rubbed on art designs to set colors.

Food Uses:

• Stems were eaten in times of scarcity by boiling the joints then peeling away the skin and spines. The fleshy stems were split and placed in water as a purifier.
• The fruit is preferred for eating once peeled. It is soft and spicy and full of vitamins. It is sweetest near the end of September.

Medicinal Uses:

• Rubbing the fuzz of the Otahkoottsis on scored warts or moles helped with removal.
• Otahkoottsis spines were also stuck into the skin and lit as a means to cure an offending body part. Similar to forms of modern acupuncture.
• The needles help treat rheumatism by pricking the affected areas with the cactus needles.
• Peeled stems were used as a bandage on wounds.