Opuntia polyacantha

Opuntia polyacantha (plains pricklypear, hairspine cactus, panhandle pricklypear, or starvation pricklypear) is a series of Opuntia.

Background
Low, spreading plants, with fibrous roots, usually forming small clumps; joints not very thick, orbicular, usually less than 10 cm. in diameter, generally light green; areoles small, closely set, usually less than 1 cm. apart, all spiny; spines numerous, often 9, those from the sides mostly short, appressed, and white, but often 1 or 2 of these elongated and like those from the upper and marginal areoles, dark brown, with lighter tips and about 3 cm. long; glochids yellow; flowers small, 4 to 5 cm. long, including the ovary; sepals tinged with red; petals lemon-yellow; stigma-lobes green; fruit dry, oblong, 2 cm. long, bearing small clusters of white, acicular spines at the areoles; seeds white, 6 mm. long, acute on the margin. Type locality is in arid situations on the plains of the Missouri. Distribution includes North Dakota to Nebraska, northwestern Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona to Utah, Washington, and Alberta.

Varieties/Subspecies
O. p. arenaria

O. p. erinacea

O. p. hystricina

O. p. nicholii

O. p. polyacantha