{"id":3645,"date":"2025-10-12T15:21:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T20:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opuntiads.com\/oblog\/?p=3645"},"modified":"2025-10-12T15:21:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T20:21:57","slug":"opuntia-basilaris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/opuntiads.com\/oblog\/opuntia-basilaris\/","title":{"rendered":"Opuntia basilaris"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Photograph = Opuntia basilaris)<\/sup><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

Opuntia<\/em> species are common across much of the American West but are less frequent in the very driest deserts. Opuntia basilaris<\/em> is one of the few that is easy to find at low elevations in the Mojave Desert, where annual rainfall may average only 6\u20138 inches.<\/p>\n

The Details<\/h3>\n

O. basilaris<\/em> has the classic \u201cbeavertail\u201d look. Cladodes form dense clumps 5\u201320 inches tall and typically about 1 foot across (occasionally to 5 feet). Pads are blue-green and roundish to wedge-shaped, usually 5\u20138 inches long (sometimes to 10). They are often fan-shaped, but may be oval, obovate, or elongate-obovate. In the main variety (basilaris<\/em>), pads arise from a single point and form an irregular rosette. Areoles are slightly sunken.<\/p>\n

There are at least five described varieties:<\/p>\n