Opuntia sulphurea Gillies ex Salm-dyck

Spreading to erect shrub to 40 cm high and 3 m diam. Stem segments easily detached, oblong to obovate, 8–35 cm long, 3–7.5 cm wide, compressed, slightly tuberculate, grey-green, often with purplish tinge, dull, glabrous. Areoles borne on tubercles, 15–30 per stem segment face, 15–35 mm apart, circular or subcircular, 3–4.5 mm wide, with wool off-white, ageing greyish. Leaves succulent, terete, conical, 2.5–3.5 mm long, caducous. Spines 1–8 per areole, spreading, the longer spines to 40 mm long, 0.7–1 mm wide at base, ± flattened in cross-section, straight or slightly curved but sometimes twisted, rigid, white and pink, ageing grey to white. Glochids in a dense tuft, 1–2 mm long, yellowish red to brown. Flowers to 40 mm diam.; outer tepals yellowish green, often tinged red, succulent, the apex acute; inner tepals yellow, spreading, obovate, to 40 mm long, c. 15–20 mm wide, apex obtuse and entire; staminal filaments off-white, anthers pale yellow; style pale yellowish white, stigma lobes green. Fruit ovoid, maturing to pink purple, spiny. Seeds not seen.

In South Australia, it has been collected from a modified site near township, on gibber, associated with Acacia ligulata, Atriplex vesicaria and Atriplex holocarpa. In Queensland, it is found along creek banks beside a road in open woodland, and riparian plain dominated by Eucalyptus populnea, with Geijera parviflora and Eremophila mitchellii.