CNPS

CNPS Rare Plant Inventory

Species Details

Opuntia fragilis

brittle prickly-pear

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Photo of Opuntia fragilis
©2008 John Dittes 		Photo of Opuntia fragilis
©2016 Keir Morse 		Photo of Opuntia fragilis
©2014 Joey Malone

  Classification

Scientific Name:
Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw.
Common Name:
brittle prickly-pear
Family: Cactaceae
Element Code: PDCAC0D0H0
USDA Plants Symbol: OPFR
Synonyms/Other Names:

  Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.1
Fed List: None
State List: None
Global Rank: G5
State Rank:
 S1
Other Status: IUCN_LC
CRPR Changes:
changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12
Add Date: 1994-01-01
Date Edited: 2021-07-14

  Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial stem
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul
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Elevation:
820 - 880 meters
2690 - 2885 feet
General Habitats:
  • Pinyon and juniper woodland (volcanic)
Microhabitat Details:
Microhabitat:

  Notes

Notes:
Known in CA only from Owl's Head in the Shasta Valley. Probably reduced by grazing.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

  Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 2
Total EOs % of EOs
EOs with Threat Listed: 1 50 %
THREAT LIST:
Grazing 1 50%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 1 50%

  Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 2
Element Occurrence Ranks:
A B C D X U
0 0 0 1 0 1
Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years 0
Recent <=20 Years 2
Presence:
Presumed Extant 2
Possibly Extirpated 0
Presumed Extirpated 0

  Location

California Endemic:
California Island:
States: Name (Code)
Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Mexico (NM), North Dakota (ND), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), South Dakota (SD), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Washington (WA), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY)
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Lake Shastina (4112254), Little Shasta (4112264)
Notes:
Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
* Presumed extirpated
(?) Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.
Regional Map

  Map

Presumed Extant
Click on quad for name. Hold Shift Key to use mouse scroll wheel

  Selected References

Suggested Citation:
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2024. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 26 April 2024].