429 
brown bristles, mostly unarmed: spines (when present) few, mostly 
only marginal, stout, terete, straight, erect or spreading, whitish (often 
reddish at base and apex), 1.8 to 2.5 em. long, single, or 1 or 2 smaller 
detlexed ones in addition: flowers sulphur-yellow (often with red center), 
6 to 8.5 em. broad: fruit clavate, naked, with funnel-shaped umbilicus, 
3.5 to 5 em. long (less than half that in diameter), with acid or sweetish 
purplish pulp: seeds almost regular, compressed, with rather narrow 
and thick but acutish margins, 5 mm. broad (Jil, Pacif. R. Rep. iv, t. 
10, f. 8-5; t. 23, f. 7, 8)—Type unknown. 
Sterile, sandy or rocky soil in the Mississippi valley from Minnesota 
and Wisconsin to Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, and Texas; appar- 
ently not found west of the western boundary of Missouri and Arkansas. 
Specimens examined: WISCONSIN (//ale of 1861, in part): [ILLINOIS 
(Engelmann of 1833-34; Hall of 1861, sandy barrens of Mason Co.; 
Hayden of 1862; Coulter of 1894, growing): ARKANSAS (Bigelow of 
1853): KANSAS (Hitchcock of 1893, sandhills near Manhattan): also 
cult. in Goebel’s Gard. 1845; Mo. Bot. Gard. 1856; Harvard Bot. Gard. 
1871; Meehan’s Gard. 1885, 
An exceedingly variable species, the principal varieties being described under the 
nine following forms. 
32. Opuntia mesacantha grandiflora (Engelm.) 
Opuntia intermedia Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 206 (1850), not Salm (1834). 
Opuntia rafinesquii grandiflora Engelm. Syn, Cact. 295 (1856). 
Somewhat ascending, with larger joints (12.5 to 15 em. long), pulvini 
2.5 em. apart, very slender bristles, almost no spines, large flowers 
(11 to 12.5 em. broad, red in center), and elongated fruit 6 cm. long. 
(1. Pacif. R. Rep. iv, t. 11, f. 2, 3)—Type, Lindheimer of 1847 in Herb. 
Mo. Bot. Gard. 
On the Brazos, Texas. 
Specimens examined: TEXAS (Lindheimer of 1847). 
33. Opuntia mesacantha parva, nom. noy. 
Opuntia rafinesquit minor Engel. and Bigel. Pacif. R. Rep, iv, 41, name p. 55 
(1856), not O. minor C. Muell. 
Orbicular joints but 5 cm. in diameter, spineless or with a few on the 
upper margin. (JIl. Pacif. R. Rep. iv, t. 11, f. 1)—Type, Engelmann of 
1845 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. 
Sandstone rock in southern Missouri. 
Specimens examined: MIssouRI (Enyelmann of 1845): also growing 
in Mo, Bot. Gard. 
34. Opuntia mesacantha microsperma (Kngelm.). 
Opuntia rafinesquir microsperma Engelm. Syn. Cact. 295 (1856). 
Almost unarmed, with more compressed smaller seeds (1.6 to 1.8 
mm. broad) having narrower margins.—Type cult. in Mo. Bot. Gard. 
1854 and preserved in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. 
With the species. 
Specimens examined: cult. in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1854, with no locality. 
