Opuntia microdasys subs is a rare succulent belonging to the Cactaceae botanical family. The plant is a prickly pear and develops a trunk from which several branches form. The shrub can reach up to 1.5 meters in height and 2.5 meters in width.
The plant has an erect habit and sometimes a creeping habit. The stem segments are flat, oblong, light green, and spineless, and are called cladodes. The cladodes serve functions of water conservation and photosynthesis. The stems are grey-green or bluish-green, as are the cladodes. The areoles are numerous, large, round, and covered with numerous reddish, bristle-like glochids.
Blooming occurs in late spring to early summer, with blossoms borne at the tips of the one-year-old cladodes. The flowers are cup-shaped, bright yellow, changing to orange and red, and last for a day. The fruits ripen in summer and are fleshy, spineless, bright red berries. The seeds are small and bronze in color.
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