Opuntia basilaris

Opuntia basilaris
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Opuntia
Species:	O. basilaris
Binomial name
Opuntia basilaris Engelm. & Bigelow

Beavertail Cactus in bloom at night.

Yellow Beavertail Cactus Flower in Full Bloom

Pollination of a Yellow Beavertail Cactus Flower, California USA

Opuntia basilaris, the Beavertail Cactus, is found in southwest USA, mostly in the Mojave Desert, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and Colorado Deserts, and also in the Colorado Plateau and northwest Mexico; it ranges through the Grand Canyon and Colorado River region to southern Utah, and in western Arizona, regions along the Lower Colorado River Valley. The Beavertail Cactus is a medium sized to small prickly pear cactus, depending on variety, growing to about 60 cm tall. A single plant may consist of hundreds of fleshy, flattened pads. These are more or less blue-gray, depending on variety, growing to a length of 14 cm and are maximum 10 cm wide and 1 to 1.5 cm thick. They are typically spineless, but have instead many small barbed bristles, called glochids, that easily penetrate the skin. The pink to rose colored flowers are most common; however, a rare variety of white and even yellow flowers also exist. Opuntia basilaris bloom from spring to early summer.

There are two subspecies and several varieties of this species:

• Opuntia basilaris subsp. basilaris
  • Opuntia basilaris var. albiflorus
  • Opuntia basilaris var. aurea
  • Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada
  • Opuntia basilaris var. cordata
  • Opuntia basilaris var. heilii
  • Opuntia basilaris var. humistrata
  • Opuntia basilaris var. longiareolata - Elongated Beavertail Prickly Pear
  • Opuntia basilaris var. ramosa
  • Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei - Trelease's Beavertail Prickly Pear, Bakersfield Cactus (California) EN
  • Opuntia basilaris var. woodburyi
• Opuntia basilaris subsp. whitneyana
  • Opuntia basilaris subsp. whitneyana var. whitneyana

Some experts consider the Trelease's Beavertail to be a full species (Bowen 1987, R. van de Hoek). It is unique among the varieties of Opuntia basilaris in that the eye-spots contain spines in addition to the bristles; this indicates that the species does vary a lot in its exterior.

Chemistry

Opuntia basilaris is a psychedelic plant containing 0.01% mescaline and 4-hydroxy-3-5-dimethoxyphenethylamine.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile
• Flora of North America; RangeMap
• Arizona Salvage Restricted Protected Native Plants
• Photo gallery