Taxon Report

Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw.

brittle prickly-pear

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Opuntia fragilis, commonly known as brittle prickly-pear, is a perennial stem in the Cactaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 820 to 880 meters. Opuntia fragilis is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


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

Ecology and Life History


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

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.1
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_LC
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	2
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Lake Shastina (4112254), Little Shasta (4112264)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Known in CA only from Owl's Head in the Shasta Valley. Probably reduced by grazing.
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 30 January 2025].