Cactaceae
Brittle pricklypear
Opuntia fragilis
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Opuntia
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Common names
By language (7)
- arz
- اوبونشيا فراجيليس
- Chinese
- 脆節仙人掌
- Dutch
- Broze vijgcactus
- English
- Brittle pricklypear, Little pricklypear, Brittle cactus, Brittle prickly-pear, Fragile cactus, Jumping cactus
- Hungarian
- Törékeny fügekaktusz
- Lithuanian
- Trapioji opuncija
- Swedish
- Sköropuntia, Brytopuntia
Synonyms
- Cactus fragilis Nutt.
- Opuntia brachyarthra Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow
- Opuntia fragilis f. brachyarthra (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) Schelle
- Opuntia fragilis subsp. brachyarthra (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) F.A.C.Weber
- Opuntia fragilis var. brachyarthra (Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) J.M.Coult.
- Opuntia fragilis var. caespitosa L.H.Bailey
- Opuntia fragilis var. denudata E.F.Wiegand & Backeb.
- Opuntia fragilis var. parviconspicua Backeb.
- Opuntia fragilis var. tuberiformis L.H.Bailey
- Opuntia sabinii Pfeiff.
- Terecaulis fragilis (Nutt.) Berge
- Tunas fragilis Nieuwl. & Lunell
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Shrub
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native
Photos
Photo: Florian Siebeck, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: K Hokanson, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Dornenwolf from Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Jennifer MacDonald, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Uwe Engelmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Audrey Misner, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Audrey Misner, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Vanessa Tietzmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Kyler Bowers, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Opuntia
- Prickly pearOpuntia ficus-indicaCactaceae
- Angel's-wingsOpuntia microdasysCactaceae
- Erect pricklypearOpuntia strictaCactaceae
- Devil's-tongueOpuntia humifusaCactaceae
- Cactus appleOpuntia engelmanniiCactaceae
- Common pricklypearOpuntia monacanthaCactaceae
- Tulip pricklypearOpuntia phaeacanthaCactaceae
- Beavertail pricklypearOpuntia basilarisCactaceae
- Dollarjoint pricklypearOpuntia chloroticaCactaceae
- Arborescent pricklypearOpuntia leucotrichaCactaceae
- Elephantear pricklypearOpuntia tunaCactaceae
- Chenille pricklypearOpuntia aciculataCactaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.