The Natural Hiftory of JAM AICA. 
149 
IX. Opuntia Major, folio oblongo, rotundo, [pinis longiffimis & validiffiimis 
cantertim nafcentibus, obfito, flore luteo.Cat. Fam. p.193. Raiy. Hitt. Vol.3.Dendr. 
p 9- Tab. 224. Fig. 1. Cardaffes de Roufean ap. Pommet. p. 33. An Ficus 
Indica major Worm, Maf. p. 148? Aa Ficus feu Opuntia ex infulis Ca- 
ribbais, Herm. Par. Bat.p. 8? An Opuntia major validiffimis [pinis armata, 
Tournef. El. luft. p. 239? feu Ficus Indica vel Opuntia, folio minore rotun- 
diore cy compreffiore, H. L. Bat? An Ficus Echinata elegans Morini tra- 
defcant. Pp. 113° Opuntia Indica major, folio {pinis longiffimis & validiffimis 
armato. Aman. Hort. Bof. p. 25. An Opuntia folio minore rotundiore ¢ 
comprefiort Bj. ib? An Ficus Indica Opuntia major, hyftricis {pinis. Cupan 
Syllab. p. 468 Hort, Cath, p. 78? Opuntia Theophrafti major, Caftell. 
Hort. Meff. p. 17. Opuntia {pinofa. Hoffm. Cat, ap. Ficus Indica [pinofay Bry. 
Flor. p. 80. Prickly Pear-Bufh, or, Shrub of Dampier. Cap, 8. 
The Prickl 'y Pear-Tree, 
The. Roots of this Tree or Bufh, are feveral two or three Foot long, 
tapering, white, round and ftrong Thongs, fpread on every Hand un- 
der the Surface of the Earth. Above Ground appears no Stalk, but 
Leaves growing out of the Sides or ‘Tops of one another, to five or 
fix Foot high ; they are about.a Foot in Length, nine Inches 
broad, an Inch thick, of a lively Sea-green Colour, very full of a mu- 
cilaginous or vifcid Juice, of an oblong roundifh Shape, almoft like 
that of the Hand the Fingers being. extended, and “befet very thick 
on both Sides, with about tem Tufts of Inch long, white, crooked and 
flender Prickles ; four of them coming ufually together out of the fame 
Tuft.or Bunch, befides much prickly Down, or very fmall Prickles 
at the Bottom of thefe; when by many of thefé Leaves grown out 
of one another the Tree is four Foot high, and has fpread it felf 
in, Breadth, the under Leaves grow more ‘round, turn from their 
vivid green Colour to an Afh one, lofe their Prickles, and look as 
if they were a Irunc or Stalk. ‘The Leaves by Time and Weather, 
fall’n off or not growing, are cleared. of the outward Membrane and 
Pulp, and fhew a delicate reticulated Texture made by the Nerves 
and Filaments of the Leaf varioufly branch’d and analtomos’d, and 
look exactly like a / Racquet wherewith Tennis-Players ufe to ftrike 
their Balls, whence this Plant has the Name of Raquettes in all French 
Authors. _Moft commonly out of the Edges, fometimes the Sides of 
thefe Leaves, come the Rudiments of this Fruit, which are Pear-figured 
or tapering, round, ‘prickly Bodies, green, and putting forth at their T ops 
their Flowers, which are a great many Petala, broad, fhap’d like thofe 
of the Rofe, fet in a double Row, of a yellow Colour with an Eve 
of red, inclofing feveral Stamina of the fame’ Colour; thefe falling 
off, the Fruir augments, ’till it attains to the Bignefs’ of an ordinary Fig, 
and turns from a Green to a Purple Colour, ‘having’ a ‘Navel-Hole or 
Cavity at the Top, larger than that of a Medlar, where the Flower 
{tood, and being befet with many ‘very fmall Tufts, of fcarce per- 
ceivable Prickles (running themfelves into the Hands of their unwar 
Gatherers, and tormenting them very much) and thefe Prickles are 
chiefly fec rouad the fetting on of the Fruit to the Leaf. Under the 
Skin, where the Hole on the Top of the Fruit is, is a round Subftance 
like the Rowel of a Spur (which muft be taken out before it be eaten.) 
Under fucculent Membranes and Covers lie’ the Seed and Pulp of this 
Fruit; the, Seeds are very many, a flat, finuated, rr 
oe p i 
