Shrubs, low, spreading, to 2 m. Stem segments strongly inter-connected, blue-green, flattened, obovate to ovate or circular, 15-25 × 10-20 cm, glaucous, low tuberculate, glabrous; areoles 5-7 per diagonal row across midstem segment, often fan-shaped with small circular extensions at base, 2.5-5(-10) mm diam., base surrounded by glabrous yellow lip; wool white, aging blackish. Spines absent or vestigial, yellow. Glochids few, scattered, poorly developed, yellow, aging gray to blackish, to 1.5 mm, covered by white, cottony wool. Flowers: inner tepals brilliant yellow throughout, fading orange to red, 25-30 mm; filaments white to green; anthers yellow; style white; stigma lobes bright light green. Fruits pink- to red-purple with red pulp, pyriform, 30 × 25 mm, fleshy, glabrous, spineless; areoles 18-25, usually crowded near apex, long, white woolly. Seeds tan, subcircular, 2 mm diam.; girdle broad, projecting 0.5 mm. 2n = 22.

Flowering spring (May-Jun). Cultivation; introduced; Ariz., Tex.; Mexico.

Opuntia ellisiana is only known from cultivation in the United States; the type is from a cultivated plant growing in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Opuntia ellisiana has been confused with O. ficus-indica; their fruits are readily separable in the number and distribution of areoles and fruit size.