User:Shazzy303/Opuntia basilaris

First assignment to edit a different article (California newt).
California newts reside in the coastal counties of California and in the southern Sierra Nevada and occupy a diverse array of habitats found near the small ponds and creeks where they breed, including woodlands and chaparral

Information regarding main article I worked on.
Alright, it is decided that i'm going to update and edit the Opuntia basilaris article for my project. I'll be adding the following sections:


 * Lead Section - (Genus Species, growth form?)
 * did not end up updating.
 * Description - Describe leaves flowers fruiting bodies
 * description section seems pretty solid.
 * Taxonomy - When was it discovered and described? Etymology, Major Synonyms, changes in classifications.
 * Distribution and Habitat - Where does it grow? Geography, elevation, climate, soil type, desnity, clumping?
 * Ecology subsection - Interactions w the environment (pets pollinators disease) or conservation concerns
 * Uses (Culture) - Hows it used by humans or cultivation details.

 SECTION FOR PREPARING EDITS BEFORE PUBLISHING 

Taxonomy
One of the first known descriptions of opuntia basilaris come from the reports of the explorations and surveys for a railroad route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. This expedition followed the 35th parallel through New Mexico, Arizona, and California. In the 4th volume of this report, The Botany of the Expedition, by George Engelmann and John M. Bigelow, Opuntia basilaris is described as a stout fan shaped opuntia resembling an open cabbage head, with accompanying illustrations.

Distribution and Habitat
This species of cactus is found in the Southwest US regions including California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Northwestern Sonora, Mexico. This plant can be found in chaparral, desert, and grassland. This cactus grows in well draining mediums composed of sand, gravel, cobble, or even on boulders.

Uses
The Diegueño would consume it as a dried fruit after removing the thorns.

The Shoshone Native American Tribe took advantage of the analgesic properties of this cactus by creating a poultice from the inner mucilage to treat minor cuts.