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Photographer: William Tans
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Family Cactaceae
Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. var. humifusa
[Excluded] eastern prickly-pear cactus
Opuntia: Greek name used by Pliny for a different plant which grew around the town of Opus in Greece
humifusa: spreading, prostrate
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| Status: | Excluded |
| Plant: | prostrate/spreading/erect, perennial, 2"-8" tall, spiny shrub forming large mats; stems branched, the joints flattened; pads elliptical; roots usually fibrous |
| Flower: | yellow, sometimes with a red center, 7 or more-parted, up to 3" wide; blooms June-July |
| Fruit: | red-purple, fleshy, wingless, edible; seeds disc-like with hard, regular edges  |
| Leaf: | spines usually single or sometimes paired |
| Habitat: | dry; prairies, rocks, inland sands; in rocky, sandy soil |
| (Glossary) |
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 Raf. var. humifusa&phog=Botanical Illustration&spcode=OPUHUMvHUM)
 Raf. var. humifusa&phog=Kenneth J. Sytsma&spcode=OPUHUMvHUM)
 Raf. var. humifusa&phog=Merel R. Black&spcode=OPUHUMvHUM)
 Raf. var. humifusa&phog=Merel R. Black&spcode=OPUHUMvHUM)