Cactaceae

Opuntia fragilis

Brittle Prickly Pear Cactus

Prostrate to sprawling. Stem segments somewhat flat or round and cylinder-like, easily coming apart. Spines 3–7, round, rigid, straight, gray with brown tips in cluster with whitish wool and small yellowish bristles. Flower yellow, sometimes reddish at base; filaments white or red; style white; stigma green. Grows in juniper woodland, dry open sandy or gravelly soils, from sea level to 3000 ft.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 2--8 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe, Coastal, Meadow
• Found In: Olympic Np, N Cascades Np
• Native: Yes