Flat, grayish-green, leafless, jointed stems in a clump, lack large spines and have vivid rose or reddish-lavender flowers on upper edge of joint. Beaver-tail Cactus is a low-growing prickly pear, 4-16 in. high, with brilliant, magenta flowers. The pads of this cactus lack the long, straight spines of other prickly pears but are covered with miniscule, gray-blue bristles with barbed tips.

The gray-green stems, low growth, and brilliant flowers, which often nearly cover the plant, make this a popular ornamental in hot, dry climates. It need not be dug up; a joint broken from a plant will quickly root in dry sand. Opuntia with flat joints are called Prickly Pear. In the Southwest, if the fruits are juicy and edible, they are called tunas by people of Spanish-American heritage. The fruits of Opuntia basilaris, though, are hard and dry. They are not utilized as food.