What is Beavertail Cactus

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Beavertail Cactus Overview

Opuntia basilaris, the beavertail cactus or beavertail prickly pear, is a medium-sized to small prickly pear cactus species found in the southwest United States with pink to rose-colored flowers.

A single plant may consist of hundreds of fleshy, flattened pads.

They are typically spineless, but have instead many small barbed bristles, called glochids, that easily penetrate the skin.

Each areole supports many glochids but are usually without spines.

Opuntia basilaris blooms from spring to early summer.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Opuntia
Species: O. basilaris

Beavertail Cactus Height

2.8 to 15.7 inches (15 to 30 cm)

Water Sources for the Beavertail Cactus

Surface water.

Habitat and Range

It occurs mostly in the Mojave, Anza-Borrego, and Colorado Deserts, as well as in the Colorado Plateau and northwest Mexico.

It is also found throughout the Grand Canyon and Colorado River region as well as into southern Utah and Nevada, and in the western Arizona regions along the Lower Colorado River Valley in well-drained soil, gravelly sand, and rocky outcrops from 200′ – 3,000′.

Pollination

Wind, insects, animals

Photos and Videos

Below is a transcription of the above sign found at the Valley of Fire Visitor Center.

Beavertail Cactus – Opuntia basilaris

COMMUNITY

Creosote Bush Scrub

ADAPTATION FOR SURVIVAL

Flat, wide pads with thick “skin” to hold moisture.

Pads covered with tiny, hair-like spines.

COMMENTS

Be careful of this cactus, as the tiny spines work into the skin and are very difficult to see and remove.

Cactus fruits and pads are important food for many desert animals, especially woodrat and jackrabbit.

Indians cook both fruits and pads after removing their spines.

Resources Used

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia_basilaris