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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).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~190 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
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:
PLANTSOpuntia brachyclada
JEFOpuntia 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

[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)


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: 05/21/2025).