Opuntia fragilis

Plant Characteristics

Habit		cacti-succulent
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun
Water:	◍	dry

Scientific Names

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fragilis >

(Nutt.) Haw. >

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Opuntia fragilis is a prickly pear cactus known by the common names brittle prickly pear and little prickly pear native to much of North America. It occurs in several Canadian provinces. It is known from farther north than any other cactus, occurring near the Arctic Circle in Alberta. There is an isolated and possibly genetically unique population in Eastern Ontario known as the "Kaladar Cactus". Brittle Prickly Pear is a small decumbent cactus that grows to a maximum height of 10 centimeters. Both the common and scientific names refer to the easily detached stem segments. This is known to be a means of plant dispersal.

Read about Opuntia fragilis in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Opuntia fragilis, Haw. A small, prostrate plant, rarely more than 4 in. high: joints tumid, fragile, easily detached, oval, elliptical, or subglobose, 1-2 in. long and nearly as thick as broad, bright green: areoles ¼-½ in. apart, with whitish wool and a few white to yellow bristles, which are much longer and more abundant on older joints; spines 1-4, occasionally a few small additional ones, weak, dark brown, the upper one usually longer and stronger than the others, rarely an inch in length: fls. greenish yellow, 1-1¼ in. wide: fr. ovate to subglobose. with few spines or bristles, mostly sterile, an inch or less long; seeds few and large. Rocky Mt. region from Canada to New Mex. Var. brachyarthra, Coult. A plant with more swollen joints, more numerous and stronger spines, smaller fls. and more spiny fr. Colo., New Mex. Var. caespitosa, Hort. Joints bright green, smaller and more crowded than in the type: fls. bright yellow. Colo. Var. tuberiformis, Hort. Joints olive-green, bulbous-looking. Colo. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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