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Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw.

Brittle Pricklypear

Native records: 26 botanical areas

Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, 23 more areas

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Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

A succulent subshrub of temperate climates. Native to United States, Canada.

This entry carries only the classification and distribution data recorded in WCVP. A written account and images are not yet available.

Distribution areas

  • Argentina

    • Argentina NortheastIntroduced

  • Bulgaria

    • BulgariaIntroduced

  • Canada

    • AlbertaNative
    • British ColumbiaNative
    • ManitobaNative
    • OntarioNative
    • SaskatchewanNative

  • United States of America

    • ArizonaNative
    • CaliforniaNative
    • ColoradoNative
    • IdahoNative
    • IllinoisNative
    • IowaNative
    • KansasNative
    • MichiganNative
    • MinnesotaNative
    • MontanaNative
    • NebraskaNative
    • New MexicoNative
    • North DakotaNative
    • OklahomaNative
    • OregonNative
    • South DakotaNative
    • TexasNative
    • UtahNative
    • WashingtonNative
    • WisconsinNative
    • WyomingNative

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Dfa Cold, no dry season, hot summer
  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • Dfb Cold, no dry season, warm summer
  • BSk Arid, steppe, cold
  • Dfc Cold, no dry season, cold summer
  • Dsb Cold, dry summer, warm summer
  • Csb Temperate, dry summer, warm summer
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • Csa Temperate, dry summer, hot summer
  • ET Polar, tundra
  • BWk Arid, desert, cold
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • Dsc Cold, dry summer, cold summer
  • Dwa Cold, dry winter, hot summer

The same climate occurs in 208 areas worldwide, 180 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Opuntia fragilis is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.226, left column, line 9

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Brittle Pricklypear、Fragile Cactus、Jumping Cactus

Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Opuntia

Other species in Opuntia

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Argentina · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bulgaria · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Canada · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States of America · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source