Opuntia basilaris Opuntia basilaris Opuntia basilaris, the beavertail cactus or beavertail pricklypear, is a cactus species found in the southwest United States. It occurs mostly in the Mojave, Anza-Borrego, and Colorado Deserts, as well as in the Colorado Plateau and northwest Mexico. It is also found throughout the Grand Canyon and Colorado River region as well as into southern Utah and Nevada, and in the western Arizona regions along the Lower Colorado River Valley. "Opuntia basilaris" is a medium-sized to small prickly pear cactus tall, with pink to rose colored flowers. A single plant may consist of hundreds of fleshy, flattened pads.
Opuntia pinkavae magenta anthers and white styles. Fruits are tan, up to 3 cm (1.2 inches) long, dry when ripe. There is a bit of confusion concerning the correct scientific name. Specimens of "O. pinkavae" were distributed for years labeled as ""Opuntia kaibabensis"", a name that was never validly published. Parfitt's original description coining the name "Opuntia pinkavae" and the treatment attributed to Pinkava in Flora of North America suggest that the name was offered as a replacement for another allegedly unpublished name, "Opuntia basilaris" var. "woodburyi". However, the varietal name was indeed validly published, but chromosomal comparisons between it and "O.