PlantMap
← Back to list

Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm.

Brown-spined Prickly-pear

Native records: 11 botanical areas

Arizona, California, Colorado, 8 more areas

See all areas

Natural distribution

Explore map
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 phaeacantha

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

  • Andorra

    • SpainIntroduced

  • Armenia

    • TranscaucasusIntroduced

  • Austria

    • AustriaIntroduced

  • Azerbaijan

    • TranscaucasusIntroduced

  • Czechia

    • CzechoslovakiaIntroduced

  • Georgia

    • TranscaucasusIntroduced

  • Germany

    • GermanyIntroduced

  • Gibraltar

    • SpainIntroduced

  • Holy See

    • ItalyIntroduced

  • Italy

    • ItalyIntroduced

  • Liechtenstein

    • AustriaIntroduced

  • Mexico

    • Mexico NortheastNative
    • Mexico NorthwestNative

  • Russian Federation

    • North CaucasusIntroduced

  • San Marino

    • ItalyIntroduced

  • Slovakia

    • CzechoslovakiaIntroduced

  • Spain

    • Canary Is.Introduced
    • SpainIntroduced

  • United States of America

    • ArizonaNative
    • CaliforniaNative
    • ColoradoNative
    • KansasNative
    • NevadaNative
    • New MexicoNative
    • OklahomaNative
    • TexasNative
    • UtahNative

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

The same climate occurs in 189 areas worldwide, 171 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 phaeacantha is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.226, left column, line 31

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

    Open source

Other names

Brown-spined Prickly-pear、Brownspine Pricklypear、Mojave prickly-pear

Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Opuntia

Other species in Opuntia

Sources

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

    Andorra · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Armenia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Austria · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Azerbaijan · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Czechia · 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

    Spain · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Georgia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Gibraltar · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Italy · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Liechtenstein · 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

    San Marino · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

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

    Slovakia · 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

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

    Holy See · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information