Photographs of Cacti of Big Bend National Park

This is one of the few pricklypear cacti that have no spines - another common in the Southwest (in the Mojave Desert) is opuntia basilaris. Opuntia rufida produces a profusion of orange-yellow flowers in late spring, and in the Big Bend area is found on well-drained areas at low elevations, below 4,000 feet.

License/purchase this photograph