Opuntia basilaris (Cactus)

Cactacea commonly known as "beaver tail" for the shape of its blades, is characterized by modest heights that do not exceed 30 cm. Its blades, ovoid and flattened, take glaucous green shades that fade towards the purple when abundantly exposed to sunlight and are arranged in the growth in contiguous segments one on the other, giving rise to pleasant unpredictable ramifications. The smooth surface of O. basilaris is dotted with sparse small and brown areolas completely devoid of spines but rich of the so-called glochids, a sort of yellow-brownish microsetol apparently almost invisible, but rather ferocious and insidious! The real strength of the cactus is the inflorescence: at the apex of the blades, in fact, they bloom extraordinary gigantic pink-fuchsia flowers characterized by a luster similar to silk.