Threadspine prickly pear

Description

Opuntia polyacantha is a common species of cactus known by the common names plains pricklypear,hairspine cactus,panhandle pricklypear,and starvation pricklypear.It is native to North America,where it is widespread in Western Canada,the Great Plains,the central and Western United States,and Chihuahua in northern Mexico.This cactus grows in a wide variety of habitat types,including sagebrush,Ponderosa pine forest,prairie,savanna,shrublands,shrubsteppe,chaparral,pinyon-juniper woodland,and scrub.