Bulrush Canyon Prickly Pear

Opuntia pinkavae hybridizes with O. aurea. The name O. pinkavae replaces Opuntia basilaris var. woodburyi W. Earle, which was not validly published.

Shrubs, low, with ascending to prostrate branches, 10-25 cm. Stem segments not disarticulating, green, flattened, narrowly to broadly obovate, 6.5-15 × 3-11 cm, low tuberculate, glabrous to papillate; areoles (4-)7-8 per diagonal row across midstem segment, subcircular, 3-3.5 mm diam.; wool white. Spines (0-)1-3(-4) per areole, in distal 20-50(-70)% of areoles, porrect to reflexed, yellow-gray to whitish gray, sometimes brown in basal ¹/2, straight, sometimes curved, usually flattened, slender, longest (35-)50-70 mm. Glochids conspicuous, in broad, dense crescent at adaxial margin of areole, red-brown, to 4 mm, sides sometimes converging into columns. Flowers: inner tepals magenta throughout, 25-35 mm; filaments yellow to red-orange to magenta; anthers yellow; style white; stigma lobes green. Fruits tan, 20-30 × 18-20 mm, maturing dry, glabrous to papillate; areoles (16-)24-34, distal areoles bearing 1-4 short spines. Seeds tan, oval to subcircular, 6.5-8 mm, warped; girdle protruding 1.5-2 mm. 2n = 88.

Ariz., Utah.

Flowering late spring (May-Jun).

Grasslands, margins of pinyon-juniper woodlands, red, sandy or limestone loam soils; 1400-1600m.