Opuntia basilaris- Beavertail cactus

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Opuntia basilaris- Beavertail cactus
Opuntia basilaris- Beavertail cactus

Opuntia basilaris, the Beavertail Cactus, is found in southwest USA, mostly in the Mojave Desert, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and Colorado Deserts, and also in the Colorado Plateau and northwest Mexico; it ranges through the Grand Canyon and Colorado River region to southern Utah, and in western Arizona, regions along the Lower Colorado River Valley. The Beavertail Cactus is a medium sized to small prickly pear cactus, depending on variety, growing to about 60 cm tall. A single plant may consist of hundreds of fleshy, flattened pads. These are more or less blue-gray, depending on variety, growing to a length of 14 cm and are maximum 10 cm wide and 1 to 1.5 cm thick. They are typically spineless, but have instead many small barbed bristles, called glochids, that easily penetrate the skin. The pink to rose colored flowers are most common; however, a rare variety of white and even yellow flowers also exist. Opuntia basilaris bloom from spring to early summer.

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Taken on: May 1, 2012
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with plant plant Everybody's photos tagged with wildflower wildflower
Sets appears in:   • American flora    • 2012-5 USA-Wildflowers and plants   
Camera: Olympus XZ-1, f/3.5, 1/640 sec, 6mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Olympus XZ-1
Aperture: f/3.5
Exposure Time: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length: 6mm
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: On, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Aperture 3.2.3
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