Brittle pricklypear facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brittle pricklypear
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Opuntia
Species:	O. fragilis
Binomial name
Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw.
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.
Synonyms
Cactus fragilis Opuntia brachyarthra

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

Opuntia fragilis, also known as the brittle pricklypear or little prickly pear, is a type of prickly pear cactus. It grows naturally across much of western North America. You can also find it in some midwestern states like Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This cactus even grows in several parts of Canada. It's known for growing further north than any other cactus, reaching as far as 56°N latitude in British Columbia. There's a special group of these cacti in Eastern Ontario, called the "Kaladar population," which might be genetically unique.

What Does the Brittle Pricklypear Look Like?

The Opuntia fragilis is a small plant that usually grows low to the ground. It's rarely taller than 10 cm (4 inches). Its segments, called "joints," are bright green and easily break off. These joints are oval or roundish, about 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) long.

Each joint has small bumps called "areoles." These areoles have whitish fuzz and a few white to yellow bristles. Older joints tend to have more bristles. The cactus has 1 to 4 weak, dark brown spines. The longest spine is usually less than 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

The flowers of the brittle pricklypear are greenish-yellow. They are about 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1.25 inches) wide. The fruit is round or oval and has very few spines or bristles. Most of the time, the fruit doesn't have many seeds.

Images for kids

• 

  Opuntia fragilis var. denudata

• 

  Opuntia fragilis var. denudata

• 

  A hybrid

See also

In Spanish: Opuntia fragilis para niños