Opuntia stenopetala aka Arrastradillo

Opuntia stenopetala is a low cactus with a shrub-like form. It comes from eastern Mexico and belongs to the cactus family, Cactaceae. Its common names include bluish prickly pear and Nopal Serrano. Its range runs from northeastern Mexico south to Veracruz. Records place it in Coahuila, Nuevo León, Hidalgo, and Guanajuato. It grows in other states too. It lives in dry scrub and desert shrubland. It grows across much of its range in large numbers. Useful Tropical Plants gives its conservation status as Least Concern.

This succulent stays green all year. Its stems creep along the ground and form mats. The main branches rest on the edges of their joints. Dense growth can form low thickets too. The stem parts range from egg-shaped to almost round. Each is about 0.33–0.66 feet (0.1–0.2 metres) long. The supplied sources give no sound height or width at full growth. They describe a low plant, not an upright tree. The way it spreads helps give it its look.

The areoles, small sites that bear spines, often sit far apart. Young ones have white wool. Lower ones may have no spines. The spines range from reddish brown to almost black. Some grow pale with age. Small bristles called glochids have barbs and also pose a risk. They break free at a touch and enter the skin. Their barbs make them hard to find and pull out. Touch can cause marked skin irritation and pain. This risk still matters where the plant has no large spines.

The small flowers have thin, upright petals of orange-red. Their sharp tips add to each flower's slim shape. Each flower is about 0.10 feet (0.03 metres) long. That length includes its ovary. Male and female flowers have separate roles in making seeds. Female flowers have a thick style with yellow stigma lobes. Male flowers have a reduced style. Useful Tropical Plants lists bees and other insects as pollinators. The supplied evidence gives no bloom season for this species.

People grow this cactus to hold soil and curb erosion. Useful Tropical Plants also notes its use as medicine. It gives no details of that use for this species. Its wider notes on edible nopals do not confirm food uses for this species. The evidence gives no firm advice on light or water needs. It does not say how much cold this cactus can stand. Nor does it name a pest or disease for this species. Its dry home range alone does not prove its needs in a garden.