Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada Calflora

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Taxon Report

Opuntia basilaris Engelm. & J. M. Bigelow var. brachyclada (Griffiths) Munz

Beavertail pricklypear, Short joint beavertail

Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada is a shrub (stem succulent) that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.

California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).


	Plant Range Observation Search ~190 records in California Plant Characteristics one or more occurrences within a 7.5-minute quadrangle

Bloom Period

Photos on Calflora


Parent:	Opuntia basilaris
Genus:	Opuntia
Family:	Cactaceae
Category:	angiosperm
PLANTS group:	Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Creosote Bush Scrub, Chaparral, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Joshua Tree Woodland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Alternate Names:


PLANTS	Opuntia brachyclada
JEF	Opuntia humistrata

Information about Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada from other sources


Nursery availability from CNPLX This plant is available commercially. Jepson eFlora USDA PLANTS Profile (OPBAB) Photos on Calflora Photos on CalPhotos Google Images Photos on iNaturalist ID Tips on PlantID.net	ITIS Original Publication citation International Plants Names Index Search efloras.org (Flora of North America) Landscape information from Calscape BONAP Distribution Map CNPS Inventory: 1B.2 Consortium of California Herbaria 2 Search the Native American Ethnobotany Database	Add an Observation Location Suitability Planting Guide Distribution by County
[explorer.natureserve.org] Range, Threats: Endemic to California, Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada is known from Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Approximately 100 occurrences are documented. However many are small and not recently verified. Threatened by urbanization, off-road vehicle activity, roadside maintenance, and horticultural collecting. (link added by Mary Ann Machi) photos / record / common / links

Suggested Citation

Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/ (Accessed: 03/31/2025).