Opuntia diploursina Great Basin deserts, is suspected to be a stabilized allopolyploid derived from "O. diploursina" and "O. basilaris". Some "O. diploursina" x "basilaris" progeny resemble "O. basilaris" var. "treleasei" (2n=33), an endemic species of California. Opuntia diploursina Opuntia diploursina is a species in the Cactaceae family, that grows near and in Lake Mead National Recreation Area and northward across Nevada's Mormon Mesa, into Utah. This species is a close relative and probable ancestor of "Opuntia erinacea", but "...differs in minor spines more closely appressed to pad surface, spines smaller in diameter and more flexible, inter-areolar distance less, upright growth habit, larger
Opuntia arenaria strongly deflexed and much shorter. Overall, plants (clumps) of cladodes may be 20–30 cm across and about 4–8 cm tall. Fruits are small, about 2.5 cm. Opuntia arenaria Opuntia arenaria was considered a variety of "O. polyacantha" by many botanists, and is still treated that way in the Flora of North America. However, "O. arenaria" is diploid and "O. polyacantha" is tetraploid. It was described by Engelmann in 1856. "Opuntia arenaria" can grow in soil that is essentially pure sand. It has rhizomes up to 1.5 m long that give rise to above ground shoots with small cladodes that are