Taxon Report

Opuntia xcurvispina Griffiths

curved-spine beavertail

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Opuntia xcurvispina, commonly known as curved-spine beavertail, is a perennial stem in the Cactaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1000 to 1400 meters. Opuntia xcurvispina is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Opuntia xcurvispina Griffiths
Common Name:	curved-spine beavertail
Family:	Cactaceae
Element Code:	PDCAC0D270
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Opuntia curvospina

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial stem
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	1000-1400 (3280-4595)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G2G3
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Castle Peaks (3511532), Cima (3511525), Crescent Peak (3511542), Ivanpah (3511533), Mid Hills (3511524)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



Stabilized hybrid between O. phaeacantha and O. chlorotica; see the latter in TJM (1993). See O. chlorotica in TJM 2. See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 43:88 (1916) for original description, Systematic Botany 5(4):408-418 (1980) for discussion of hybrid origin, and Haseltonia 4:103-104 (1996) for nomenclatural information.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 26 September 2025].