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Opuntia basilaris

Engelm. & Bigelow

Beavertail Prickly-pear

G5Secure Found in 79 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
PSESA Status
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147857
Element CodePDCAC0D050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
CITESAppendix II
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCaryophyllales
FamilyCactaceae
GenusOpuntia
USESAPS
Other Common Names
Beavertail Cactus (EN) beavertail pricklypear (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
Opuntia basilaris var. aurea of Kartesz (1994) treated as O. aurea by him in 1999.
Conservation Status
Review Date1989-12-04
Change Date1989-12-04
Edition Date1988-02-01
Edition AuthorsLAMBERT, A.
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widespread throughout the southwestern United States. EGR supports GRANK of G4G5 (86-05-08).
Range Extent Comments
California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Mexico.
Occurrences Comments
Over 100 EO's (Benson 1982).
Threat Impact Comments
Most cacti subject to horticultural collecting.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Sandy soils, gravelly or rocky soils of plains, valleys, washes, or canyons in the desert, woodland, grassland,

Reproduction

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).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS4Yes
ArizonaS5Yes
UtahS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (79)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest6,518
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
California (65)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
ButtermilkInyo National Forest542
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
Cahuilla MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,952
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
ColdwaterCleveland National Forest8,402
Coyote NorthInyo National Forest11,932
Coyote SoutheastInyo National Forest53,159
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Heartbreak RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest4,455
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
HortonInyo National Forest5,717
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
North LakeInyo National Forest2,406
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
Pyramid Peak BSan Bernardino National Forest7,194
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
RinconSequoia National Forest54,610
Rock Creek WestInyo National Forest3,626
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
San DimasAngeles National Forest7,160
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
ScodiesSequoia National Forest725
Sespe - FrazierAngeles National Forest4,254
Sespe - FrazierLos Padres National Forest106,910
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Table Mtn.Inyo National Forest4,215
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
West ForkAngeles National Forest1,169
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
Wheeler RidgeInyo National Forest15,744
Whisky CreekInyo National Forest865
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
WoodpeckerSequoia National Forest11,936
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Nevada (9)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Angel Peak SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest6,540
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Boundary Peak (NV)Inyo National Forest21,851
Charleston - ClarkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,674
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
PotosiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,145
Rose - Alum CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest853
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
References (3)
  1. 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.
  2. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, PLANTS Database [USDA PLANTS]. http://plants.usda.gov/. Accessed 2015.
  3. 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.