1-1  By:  Raymond (Senate Sponsor - Truan)                 H.C.R. No. 44
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House April 25, 1995;
    1-3  May 2, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
    1-4  Administration; May 10, 1995, reported favorably by the following
    1-5  vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 10, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                      HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-7        WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally recognized
    1-8  certain terrestrial forms indigenous to the state as official state
    1-9  symbols; and
   1-10        WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the pecan tree, and the mockingbird
   1-11  are examples of some natural specimens that serve to symbolize the
   1-12  rich diversity of the plains, forests, skies, and mountains of our
   1-13  vast state; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the
   1-15  prickly pear cactus as the official state plant will provide
   1-16  suitable recognition for this hearty and beautiful denizen of the
   1-17  Texas landscape; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, A native of the American Southwest and the Sonoran
   1-19  Desert region of Mexico, the prickly pear cactus provided
   1-20  nourishment to the earliest inhabitants of those regions, and both
   1-21  the sweet, fleshy fruit and the broad, flat stems were incorporated
   1-22  into tasty dishes; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, Tunas, the prickly pear fruit, and nopales, which
   1-24  are made from the stem, have since become staples of the Mexican
   1-25  diet, and their growing popularity in Lone Star cuisine can be
   1-26  attributed to Texans' appreciation for unusual and distinctive
   1-27  foods; and
   1-28        WHEREAS, In recent years, the prickly pear cactus has been
   1-29  successfully exported and naturalized to tropical areas around the
   1-30  world, and it has proven to be a popular landscape choice for all
   1-31  who want to have a little bit of Texas in their own backyards; and
   1-32        WHEREAS, This adaptable plant can survive under many
   1-33  different environmental conditions, and thus can be found from the
   1-34  hill country of Central Texas to the windswept plateaus and arid
   1-35  mountains of West Texas; because it thrives in a harsh climate that
   1-36  few plants can bear, the prickly pear cactus is often grown as
   1-37  forage for cattle and has had a tremendous positive impact on the
   1-38  vital Texas cattle industry; and
   1-39        WHEREAS, Rugged, versatile, and uniquely beautiful, the
   1-40  prickly pear cactus has made numerous contributions to the
   1-41  landscape, cuisine, and character of the Lone Star State, and thus
   1-42  it is singularly qualified to represent the indomitable and proud
   1-43  Texas spirit as an official state symbol; now, therefore, be it
   1-44        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   1-45  hereby designate the prickly pear cactus as the official state
   1-46  plant of Texas.
   1-47                               * * * * *