Ihe Natural Hiflory of JA MAIC A. 
155 
XII. Opuntia major {pinofa caulefcens, foliis glaucis, longis ¢ anguftis 
pendulis, [pints crebrioribus G minoribus obfitis, flore rubro. Cat. Fam. py’ 
195. Raij. Hift, Vol. 3. Dendy. p.20. An Ficas Indica feu Opuntia minor 
caulefcens arbufculi in modum ramis cineritets [pinofifima. Plukenet Almag. 
147? 
’ This Tree as the precedent, has a very ftreight, round Stem, rifing to 
about five Footor more high, on which area great many Rows of Stars 
fafhion’d, fhort, white Prickles, in Tufts, very thick fet, fo that very 
little elfe is feen, they almoft covering the Stalk which tapers towards 
the Top, from which come the Leaves hanging down from one ano- 
ther as in the ordinary Prickly-Pear, they are longer proportionably 
than thofe of the Prickly-Pear, of a lighter green Colour or Glaucous, 
and fo very thick fet with Rows of fmall Prickles and prickly Down 
in Tufts, that the Leaf fhews almolt nothing elfe, and he t’r touches 
them tho’ arm’d with Gloves, will feel nothing elfe in fome Days. The 
Flowers are as ufually, only fewer, being made up of about fix Pe- 
tala of a reddifh Colour and ftanding on the begun Fruit as in all of 
this Kind. 
It grew near Old-Harbour,in the fandy Ground between it and Mr. 
Mohun’s Houle very plentifully. ! } 
The reticulated light Contexture of Ligneous Fibres, making up the 
main Part of the Stalk of this Plant, the others being deftroy’d by the 
Injuries of the Air, is faid by Ps/o to beus’d ‘as a Flambeau in’ Brafile, 
this isnot made’ Ule of in Jamaica, but that of Dildoe-Tree the Jeffer, 
which with its»Heighth he mentions, never feeing this but always that 
fo high, makes me doubt he confounds thofe two very different Plants 
_ together. | 
ilo Figureagrees very well to this Plant, and no cther. 
Libs 10. of Medicinal Plants, Cap.1. Oviedo Coron. {peaks of this call- 
ing it Arbol o planta con que fe fueldan las quebraduras 0 cofas rompidas en la 
perfona del hombre. The Leaves clear’d. of its Prickles, beaten, fpread 
on Linen as a Plaifter and apply’d to’ broken Bones after they are 
fet, cures them, it~fticks till they are whole and then falls off. It makes 
a Fruit in Nicwaragaa largerthan an Olive, ‘and fearlet, out of which is 
made a Pafte, fold inthe Markets for colouring with Water, it keeps fix 
Years without! Alteration or Gum. This is the fame with the Tasas 
which he fays was about three Spans ‘high, and: therefore ic’ wag 
"young, AVI Say, ¢ 
XII. Ficus Indica folio triangulari enfiformi (profunde canaliculato) flella- 
tim aculeato. Raij Hift, Cat. fam.p. 196. Raij 3. p. 20.’ Melocattus Ameri- 
canus repens trigonus, flore albo, fructu vtolaceo, Plum. I ournef. Inft, p: 563. 
pl. Am. p.19. Melocattus foliofus ch [quammofus, Carduus Pitahaya, Oviedi 
Bob. Fift. Ox. Part 3. p.171- Ficoides triangulare articulatum amplexicaule, 
Jpints brevioribus objitam. Plakenet. Alm, p. 148. Cereus [candens minor trigo- 
nus articulaius, fratia {uaviffimo. Herm. par, Bat. p. 118. Pitabaya Sime- 
rom, ¢j- 4b. po120.-\An Cerensiifeandens minor, trigonus articulatis, ej. ib. 
Cat. 5° cade, ' ae gine , : =. i 
bod »>MTH? : { 
Prickly With 
This’ Plant has feveral{mall Roots, white, tapering and very itrong, 
flicking to the Barks of the’ Trees it grows on; from them comes 
feveral very green Leaves, protruding one another, as in pees? 
? a Sd ee | ’ Species 
