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Opuntia macrorhiza Engelm.

Bigroot Pricky Pear

Native records: 13 botanical areas

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, 10 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

Photograph of Opuntia macrorhiza

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

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

Distribution areas

  • Argentina

    • Argentina NortheastIntroduced
    • Argentina SouthIntroduced

  • Germany

    • GermanyIntroduced

  • Mexico

    • Mexico NortheastNative
    • Mexico NorthwestNative

  • Russian Federation

    • North CaucasusIntroduced

  • United States of America

    • ArizonaNative
    • ArkansasNative
    • ColoradoNative
    • IllinoisNative
    • KansasNative
    • MissouriNative
    • New MexicoNative
    • OklahomaNative
    • TexasNative
    • UtahNative
    • WisconsinNative

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.

  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • Dfa Cold, no dry season, hot summer
  • BSk Arid, steppe, cold
  • Dfb Cold, no dry season, warm summer
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • Dfc Cold, no dry season, cold summer
  • BWk Arid, desert, cold
  • Cwb Temperate, dry winter, warm summer

The same climate occurs in 167 areas worldwide, 151 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 macrorhiza is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.226, left column, line 23

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

    Open source

Other names

Bigroot Pricky Pear、Grassland Pricklypear、Plains Twistspine Pricklypear

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

    Germany · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Mexico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Russian Federation · 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

Image information