Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei

Bakersfield cactus

Family: Cactaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Bakersfield cactus is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in the southern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County grasslands at elevations of 120 to 150 meters. Flowering from March to April, this cactus produces pale yellow flowers with pale yellow spines less than 11 millimeters long. Growing with flat, generally obovate stem segments 9 to 20 centimeters long and 5 to 7.5 centimeters wide, it features spreading yellow spines 7 to 26 millimeters long. Its areoles have 2 to 8 spines that spread generally straight across the cactus surface. This distinctive prickly shrub is adapted to the dry grassland environments of central California.

Habitat: Grassland

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: 120-150 m

Bioregions: Teh, se SnJV (Kern Co.).

California counties: Kern, Los Angeles

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.