CoronaCactus Nursery LLC

Synonyms: Opuntia longiareolata, Opuntia basilaris ssp. whitneyana, Opuntia whitneyana, Opuntia basilaris var. whitneyana, Opuntia basilaris var. treleasii, Opuntia treleasii, Opuntia basilaris var. ramosa, Opuntia brachyclada ssp. humistrata, Opuntia humistrata, Opuntia basilaris var. humistrata, Opuntia basilaris var. heilii, Opuntia brachyclada, Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada, Opuntia basilaris var. longiareolata

Form: The habitat of Opuntia basilaris is North America, confined to the Southwest USA and Northern Mexico. A native of California, but also extends into Arizona, Nevada and Utah, although quite rare in Utah. This spineless Prickly Pear cactus is quite distinctive in its appearance and appropriately named *The Beavertail Cactus* as the shape of the pads resemble a Beaver�s tail. O. basilaris is a shrubby type cactus, growing wider than it does tall. The new pads generally growing from the base of the old pads, giving the name basilaris or *from the basal �base.* Growing in the arid plains and valleys of the Mojave and Colorado deserts and down into northern Sonora, Mexico in sandy or rocky soils from sea level to 4000 ft., sometimes up to 5000 ft. The pads are spineless, but do have plentiful amounts of glochids. Usually a dull-ashy grey/green/blue color, but can also show some purple, especially when stressed. The pads can also have a wrinkled appearance, as these plants do not see a lot of moisture.

Size: Typically growing to around 3-4ft in diameter and 2ft� tall. But cultivated plants can reach larger sizes. Pad size can vary, typically 2-6� (up to 13�) long and 1-4� (up to 6�) wide.

Flowers/Fruit: The flowers of Opuntia basilaris are rather large, 2-3� in diameter and usually a light magenta to dark pink color. �Fruit are fleshy and spineless, but have glochids. Starting out green and ripening to a red.

Sun/Water: Opuntia basilaris can take full sun and does not require much water once established. In habitat it gets some winter rain, but almost no rain any other time of year. In cultivation, watering can be moderate during the summer, but not excessive. This plant can succumb to rot. The wrinkled appearance of the pads will be an indication of when it�s thirsty and when it�s not.

Propagation: Seed or offsets. Seeds may require scarification prior to germination. Pad cuttings root easily and grow quickly.

Books/Websites: Some excellent information can be found in the book: The Native Cacti of California by Lyman Benson. A good website (not just for O. basilaris, but Opuntia�s in general) is Opuntiads of the USA More websites can be found on our Reference Links page.

Varieties within Opuntia basilaris (Basilares) Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow 1856

There are 3 recognized varieties of O. basilaris �(some may consider a 4^th) All of which occur in California (the 4^th does not)

(The type specie) var. basilaris Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow 1856

var. brachyclada (Griffiths 1914) Munz 1935

var. Treleasei (J.M. Coulter 1896) ex Toumey 1901

The 4^th however, has been placed as its own distinct specie.

We have included it here as it is somewhat common to still see this plant labeled as O. basilaris �v. aurea.

var. aurea (E.M. Baxter 1933) Marshall 1941

Opuntia aurea McCabe ex E.M. Baxter 1933

We are also including a 5^th variety, for which there is little information we could find. Its currently still in synonymy with O. basilaris.

Opuntia whitneyana (E.M. Baxter 1935) var. albiflora (E.M. Baxter)

Opuntia whitneyana (E.M. Baxter) ssp. whitneyana (Munz) Alabama Hills, Inyo Co. California

Opuntia basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. albiflorus (Walton) Eastern Sierra Nevada near Mt. Whitney

Opuntia basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. whitneyana (E.M. Baxter) W.T. Marshall 1941

Opuntia basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) ssp. whitneyana (E.M. Baxter) Munz 1958

We are also going to include one last type. This type is a known synonym of O. basilaris. At the moment we feel this is distinct enough visually. Although our specimen is still very small, so our opinion could easily change as the plant matures.

Opuntia humistrata (Griffiths)

Opuntia basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. humistrata (W.T. Marshall) Canyons above San Bernardino, California

Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow 1856

Beavertail Cactus

This is the type specie as described above. �

Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris

In habitat - Palm Springs, California @ 800 ft. elevation

This population grows on the edge of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts (On the Colorado Desert side) near Joshua Tree National Park, just outside the city limits of Palm Springs. There were only a handful of plants at this location, all of which were no bigger than 2 ft. across by 1 ft. tall. The plants were not flourishing. The terrain is very rocky and sandy with low growing grasses and other desert shrubs. Very high heat temperatures, very low humidity levels and little to no rain really make these plants struggle in this particular locale. The locality is a small mountain valley only a few hundred feet wide and long, facing East.

Growing along with C. echinocarpa, C. bigelovii, E. engelmannii v. armatus and F. cylindraceus v. cylindraceus. The area is dominated by F. cylindraceus v. cylindraceus with many mature plants 2-4 ft. tall. Many of which were multi headed, possibly a display from the harsh environment they live in? Many Fero�s can be seen all the way up to the top of the highest SE facing mountain side. I have not gotten up to see these plants yet. Wild fires in late summer 2008 wiped out a small portion of the Ferocactus population, including many up high on the SE mountain side and a few O. basilaris plants. C. echinocarpa is the next for population numbers in this area, although it too struggles in this harsh environment. Many dried up skeletons of the remains of large plants (2-4 ft. tall) can be seen here. Although it prefers the lower sandy flats, along with C. bigelovii. Only a handful of C. bigelovii plants at this location. There is only the one lone E. engelmannii v. armatus plant at this locality.

(For more photos of this locality and the other plants, visit the Habitat > Palm Springs photos from the Photo Gallery)

Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris

In habitat - Joshua Tree National Park

Palm Desert/29 Palms, California @ 3079 ft. elevation

This population also grows on the edge of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts (On the Colorado Desert side) in Joshua Tree National Park along the Cottonwood Spring hiking trail to the Lost Palms Oasis. (South entrance to the Park) Approximately 50-60 miles SE from the Palm Springs location. The terrain is hilly and very rocky/gravely. A lot of plants are seen growing on the cliffs of small outcrops right out of the rocks. The plants in this population look very good. Indicating this area gets more moisture or is able to retain/disperse it better? Also growing in the area: C. echinocarpa, C. ramosissima, E. engelmannii, E. vivipara v. alversonii, Fouqueiria splendens (Ocotillo), F. cylindraceus and Yucca schidigera (Mojave Yucca). These photos are from March 2008.

(For more photos of this locality and the other plants, visit the National & State Parks > Joshua Tree National Park photos in the Photo Gallery)

Opuntia basilaris Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow var. brachyclada (Griffiths 1914) Munz 1935

Little Beavertail

Synonyms: Opuntia brachyclada (Griffiths); O. basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. brachyclada (Munz)

Original Griffiths specimen found at: Mountain Valleys above San Bernardino, California

This variety grows in sandy soils at 3000 to 6000 ft. elevation. Desert edge of the California Chaparral, San Gabriel, Providence and San Bernardino mountains and Vulcan mountain in San Diego.

The pads of v. brachyclada are much thinner than those of v. basilaris. They are oblong or spatulate, spineless, with small areoles that protrude out full of glochids. The pads can be 2-5� long and 1-2� wide.

Opuntia basilaris Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow var. Treleasei (J.M. Coulter 1896) ex Toumey 1901

Kern Cactus

Synonyms: Opuntia Treleasei (Coulter); O. basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. Treleasei (Toumey)

Specimen found at: Caliente, Kern Co., California

O. Treleasei (Coulter) var. Kernii (Griffiths & Hare)

Specimen found at: Kern Co., East Bakersfield

This variety grows on the flats and low hills in sandy soils mostly in grasslands. 400 to 1000 ft. elevation. San Joaquin Valley in Kern Co., California, Turtle mountains (Mojave Desert) San Bernardino Co., CA and Northwestern Arizona near the Colorado River.

Sorry, no photos available.

Opuntia aurea E.M. Baxter

O. basilaris Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow var. aurea (E.M. Baxter 1933) W.T. Marshall 1941

Creeping Beavertail, Yellow Beavertail, Golden Prickly Pear

Synonyms: Opuntia basilaris, O. basilaris aurea, Opuntia erinacea (Engelmann) v. aurea (E.M. Baxter) S.L. Welsh �

This plant comes with the name *aurea* for its yellow flowers. Its limited habitat range is in the mountains of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Despite its visual affinity to O. basilaris, it�s been placed as its own specie. Pads grow from the base, as in O. basilaris, but moreso from other pads, creating more of a chain link spreading shrub, than a small upright shrub. As the plant grows, the older pads eventually droop down to the ground and root themselves. They can also lose their green skin and become a corky brown. Pad size remains quite small at 2-6� long and 1-2� in diameter. Pads are the same, spineless but with many glochids, less ashy grey/blue, more green with some purple tones. Pads can have more of a cylindrical to teardrop shape.

Opuntia whitneyana (E.M. Baxter 1935) var. albiflora (E.M. Baxter)

O. whitneyana (E.M. Baxter) ssp. whitneyana �(Munz)

Specimen found at: Alabama Hills, Inyo Co. California

O. basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. albiflorus (Walton)

Specimen found at: Eastern Sierra Nevada near Mt. Whitney

O. basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. whitneyana (E.M. Baxter) W.T. Marshall 1941

O. basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) ssp. whitneyana (E.M. Baxter) Munz 1958

We have a plant in cultivation that is supposed to be this variety.� Its form is slightly different with small (2-4�) rounded pads, sparse small spines along the pad edges and not as many glochids. This variety is said to have a pure white or creamy white flower and was first found in California near Mt. Whitney. The plant we have is still very small and has yet to produce a flower, so we list this here tentatively as a possibility.

We aren�t sure what the correct name would be, but these are what we could find.

Opuntia humistrata (Griffiths 1916)

O. basilaris (Engelmann & J.M. Bigelow) var. humistrata (Griffiths) W.T. Marshall 1941

O. brachyclada ssp. humistrata (Griffiths) Wiggins & Wolf

Original Griffiths specimen found at: Canyons above San Bernardino, California; September 17^th, 1912

This type can be distinguished by its numerous glochid filled areoles spaced closer together than that of v. basilaris. Pad color is a lighter shade of green with more purple tones. Not showing much, if any of the ashy blue/grey. Only extreme drought has shown the pads getting wrinkled. This one comes from the Kern Co. California area.

Photo: Tony (CactiGuide)

Opuntia basilaris noid

Obscure variety or locality?

Possible hybrid?

Could this be a toned down O. humistrata?

This plant was acquired in cultivation and no known data came with it. It most certainly has the look of Opuntia basilaris, but the dark green pad color, thick plump pads with a more rounded shape and slightly paler flower color have us guessing. As well as the growth habit, which is closer to that of O. aurea. In where it chain links its pads and can get several pads tall, but then they fall over and sprawl outwards forming a large shrub. This plant grows incredibly fast. We have not seen any other variety types described, but that�s not to say one does not exist. Could this be a possible nursery created hybrid with O. rufida? or O. microdasys? We are also thinking this may actually be the form known as O. humistrata. The flower color is a match according to Griffiths� original description of O. humistrata. As shown, the flowers are a pale peach/pink to salmon color. The new pad growth is also a close match to what we have as a known O. humistrata.