opuntia polyacantha prickly pear cactus plains panhandle pricklypear vertical

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Opuntia polyacantha prickly pear cactus plains cactus panhandle pricklypear vertical

Opuntia polyacantha a common species of cactus also known as plains pricklypear, hairspine cactus, panhandle pricklypear, and starvation pricklypear. Native to North America. Low mats of succulent green pads are oval or circular with areoles tipped with woolly brown fibers and glochids. Areoles have spines variable in size and shape. Native Americans used it as a medicinal plant, and pricklypear provides food for many types of animals. Family cactaceae, genus opuntia, species polyacantha