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Beavertail Cactus, Opuntia basilaris

Beavertail Cactus, Opuntia basilaris
Cactaceae

One of the first cacti to blossom with pink flowers every spring. The gray-green color of the pads, and the fact that it lacks the usual thorns associated with cactus, help to identify it. Beavertail does have thorns, but they are a microscopic form called glocchids which can be difficult to remove from the skin. Plants spread across and close to the ground rather than upward.