Shrubs, low, with ascending to prostrate branches, 10-25 cm. Stem segments not disarticulating, green, flattened, narrowly to broadly obovate, 6.5-15 × 3-11 cm, low tuberculate, glabrous to papillate; areoles (4-)7-8 per diagonal row across midstem segment, subcircular, 3-3.5 mm diam.; wool white. Spines (0-)1-3(-4) per areole, in distal 20-50(-70)% of areoles, porrect to reflexed, yellow-gray to whitish gray, sometimes brown in basal ¹/2, straight, sometimes curved, usually flattened, slender, longest (35-)50-70 mm. Glochids conspicuous, in broad, dense crescent at adaxial margin of areole, red-brown, to 4 mm, sides sometimes converging into columns. Flowers: inner tepals magenta throughout, 25-35 mm; filaments yellow to red-orange to magenta; anthers yellow; style white; stigma lobes green. Fruits tan, 20-30 × 18-20 mm, maturing dry, glabrous to papillate; areoles (16-)24-34, distal areoles bearing 1-4 short spines. Seeds tan, oval to subcircular, 6.5-8 mm, warped; girdle protruding 1.5-2 mm. 2n = 88.

Flowering late spring (May-Jun). Grasslands, margins of pinyon-juniper woodlands, red, sandy or limestone loam soils; 1400-1600 m; Ariz., Utah.

Opuntia pinkavae hybridizes with O. aurea. The name O. pinkavae replaces Opuntia basilaris var. woodburyi W. Earle, which was not validly published.