Opuntia streptacantha

Erect shrub 2–5 m high, to 4 diam., basal stem segments thickened and trunk-like to 1 m high and 40 cm diam. Stem segments firmly attached, obovate to broadly obovate to suborbicular, (10–) 18–35 cm long, 14–30 cm wide, 10–20 mm thick, compressed, not tuberculate, dull green to grey green, glabrous. Areoles 50–100 per stem segment face, 18–40 mm apart, circular or subcircular, 3–4 mm wide, not raised, with wool pale creamish, ageing grey. Spines 2–8 per areole, at most areoles, variously spreading or some appressed or most retrorse, 20–40 (–70) mm long, 0.7–1.2 mm wide at base, ± terete, straight, usually stout, not barbed, pale yellow to dark grey. Glochids few, inconspicuous, 0.5–0.8 mm long. Flowers (30–) 50–80 mm diam.; outer tepals reddish, succulent; inner tepals yellow to orange, spreading, broad-obovate, 25–40 mm long, 18–23 mm wide, the apex obtuse and entire; staminal filaments pink, anthers pale yellow; style very pale yellow, stigma lobes green; hypanthium (at anthesis) tuberculate, spineless or spiny. Fruit solitary, barrel-shaped to subglobose, (40–) 50–80 mm long, 18–50 mm diam., tuberculate, umbilicus deep, often with spines near apex, pink to red at maturity, succulent and juicy. Flowers spring–summer. Flowers late spring–summer.