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Opuntia fragilis

(Nutt.) Haw.

Brittle Prickly-pear

G5Secure Found in 86 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159232
Element CodePDCAC0D0H0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyCactaceae
GenusOpuntia
Other Common Names
brittle pricklypear (EN) Brittle Prickly-pear Cactus (EN) Oponce fragile (FR) Pygmy Prickly-pear (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (vol. 4, 2003) does not recognize distinct varieties in Opuntia fragilis.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-05-11
Change Date2016-05-11
Edition Date1988-02-02
Edition AuthorsLAMBERT, A.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widespread throughout the mid-west and western United States.
Range Extent Comments
British Columbia, to W. Manitoba; near Kaladar, Ontario; Washington, Michigan, Illinois, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Dakotas.
Occurrences Comments
Over 100 EO's (Benson 1982).
Threat Impact Comments
Most cacti subject to horticultural collecting.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils of valleys, low hills, or mountainsides mostly in the desert, plains.

Ecology

It is extremely cold tolerant, growing in Canada almost to the arctic circle (Weniger 1970). Species is fire adapted sprouting from root crown and layering from pads bureied in substrate protected from fire (Taylor, 2005).

Reproduction

This Opuntia mainly reproduces asexually by detachment of its stems or cladode. In O.fragilis terminal stem segments break off easily from the parent plant and and take-root producing clonal individuals (Rebman and Pinkava 2001). All Opuntias produce dry and fleshy fruits that are dispersed by animals and many Opuntias are known to be self-dispersed, in addition (Valiente-Banuet and Godinez-Alvarez 2002).This species is also believed to be dispersed by bison.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS3Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
IllinoisS1Yes
WashingtonS4Yes
WyomingS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
IowaS1Yes
TexasSNRYes
CaliforniaS1Yes
OklahomaS1Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
WisconsinS3Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
OregonS3Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
MichiganS1Yes
IdahoSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
MontanaS4Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
UtahS4Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (86)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Burro CanyonKaibab National Forest19,928
Willis CanyonKaibab National Forest9,688
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
Pioneer MountainsSalmon-Challis National Forest172,460
Pioneer MountainsSawtooth National Forest119,563
Montana (6)
AreaForestAcres
Big LogHelena National Forest8,954
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
SapphireBitterroot National Forest43,303
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Snowcrest MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,649
Stony MountainBitterroot National Forest44,057
New Mexico (4)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo de la PresaSanta Fe National Forest6,178
Chama WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest4,168
El InviernoSanta Fe National Forest29,927
LemitasSanta Fe National Forest8,129
North Dakota (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bullion ButteDakota Prairie Grasslands19,877
Collar / Bennett - CottonwoodDakota Prairie Grasslands19,697
Ponderosa PineDakota Prairie Grasslands7,471
Strom - HansonDakota Prairie Grasslands18,957
Tracy MountainDakota Prairie Grasslands9,756
South Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cheyenne RiverBuffalo Gap National Grassland7,572
Red ShirtBuffalo Gap National Grassland17,007
Utah (48)
AreaForestAcres
0401002Ashley National Forest36,113
0401005Ashley National Forest38,930
0401008Ashley National Forest15,616
0401012Ashley National Forest46,400
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
418009Uinta National Forest18,064
418013Uinta National Forest14,643
418014Uinta National Forest9,683
418015Uinta National Forest17,289
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418017Uinta National Forest19,631
418018Uinta National Forest11,218
418021Uinta National Forest6,255
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
418026Uinta National Forest14,038
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
418028Uinta National Forest34,002
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer LakeDixie National Forest110,690
Boulger - Black CanyonManti-Lasal National Forest23,286
Box - Death HollowDixie National Forest3,175
Casto BluffDixie National Forest87,466
Cedar KnollManti-Lasal National Forest22,502
Dairy ForkManti-Lasal National Forest30,222
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
Happy ValleyDixie National Forest14,458
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
Hilgard MountainFishlake National Forest28,389
Hog RanchDixie National Forest17,130
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Long Neck Mesa / Steep Creek / Oak Creek - Steep Creek / OakDixie National Forest55,489
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Mt. OlympusWasatch-Cache National Forest9,982
Mt. Johns Peak - Mt AliceFishlake National Forest12,469
Muddy Creek - Nelson Mt.Manti-Lasal National Forest59,034
North PavantFishlake National Forest53,262
Raft RiverSawtooth National Forest23,969
SanpitchManti-Lasal National Forest29,129
Solomon BasinFishlake National Forest19,963
South FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest3,374
South RimDixie National Forest1,372
Stump CreekCaribou National Forest355
Table Cliffs - Henderson CanyonDixie National Forest19,581
Thousand Lake MountainFishlake National Forest27,267
Twin PeaksWasatch-Cache National Forest6,157
Wayne WonderlandFishlake National Forest12,395
White MountainFishlake National Forest23,939
Wyoming (15)
AreaForestAcres
Beartooth Proposed WildernessShoshone National Forest16,837
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
ReefShoshone National Forest16,817
Salt River RangeBridger-Teton National Forest235,661
Sand CreekBlack Hills National Forest7,950
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Spread Creek - Gros Ventre RiverBridger-Teton National Forest166,097
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
Windy MountainShoshone National Forest31,283
References (6)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2003b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 4, Magnoliophyta: Caryophyllidae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 559 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Rebman, J.P. and D. Pinkava. 2001. <i>Opuntia </i>cacti of North America: an overview. Florida Entomologist 84(4): 474-483.
  4. Taylor, J. E. 2005. <i>Opuntia fragilis</i>. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2011, April 25].
  5. Valiente-Banuet, A., and H. Godinez-Alvarez. 2002. Population and Community Ecology. Pages 91-108. in: P. Nobel, editor. Cacti: Biology and Uses. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
  6. Weniger, D. 1970. Cacti of the Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. University of Texas Press: Austin, Texas. 249 pp. + 64 pls.