They are long-lived and most have a mounding habit, with palmately lobed foliage. "Opuntia phaeacantha" has a mounding habit of flattened green pads. Overall shape may be matting or mounding, the plants commonly spreading via rhizomes. The renovation also softened the sharp doglegs and heavy mounding that previously existed. It has a dense mounding habit, and violet colored flowers. The mounding form is encouraged by early pinching of the young plants. Mounding can certainly have a big influence on soil temperature. It can be either upright or mounding. It is a reinforced barrel vaulted structure partly underground covered by mounding. Mounding of the ground indicate the presence of domestic accommodation for the friars.