440) 
about 2.5 cm. long: seeds few, large (6 mm.), with broad and thick 
obtuse corky margin, (Jd. Pacif. Rh. Rep. iv, t. 24, £.5)—Type unknown. 
From British Columbia southward through Minnesota and Montana 
to Wisconsin, Kansas, Colorado, and Utah; fertile prairies or sterile 
places. . 
Specimens examined: BRITISH COLUMBIA (Dawson of 1885): MIN- 
NESOTA (Darson of 1884): WISCONSIN (Hale of 1861, in part, Baraboo 
bluffs): MONTANA (Canby of 1883): NEBRASKA (/Hayden of 1854): 
KANSAS ( Fisher of 1893, Ellsworth): COLORADO (Parry of 1864): UTAH 
(Engelmann of 1858; Watson 437, Utah Valley): also cult. in Mo, Bot. 
Gard. 1855; growing In same garden in 1893, 
Dr. Engelmann says that this species is very common on sterile prairies at the base 
of the Rocky Mountains, but that it is rarely found in flower and still more rarely 
in fruit. It propagates chiefly by the extremely brittle joints which even the wind 
breaks off and carries about. 
61. Opuntia fragilis brachyarthra (Kngelm.). 
Opuntia brachyarthra Engelm. Syn. Cact. 302 (1856). 
Prostrate or ascending, with swollen tuberculate joints, pulvini 4 to 
8mm. apart, 3 to 5 stouter whitish or brownish terete spines 18 to 25 
mm. long (1 or 2 spreading or suberect, the rest detiexed), flowers about 
2.5 cm. broad, and somewhat spinulose fruit. (Ji, Pacif. R. Rep. iv, t. 
12, f. 9)—Type, Bigelow of 1853 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. 
Southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. 
Specimens examined: COLORADO (Greene.of 1871): NEw MExIco 
(Bigelow of 1853, near Santa Fe). 
The other New Mexican station is ‘under pine trees, Inscription Rock, near Zuni.” 
It is a question whether this form should stand as a distinct variety, but its more 
constantly swollen tuberculate joints, more crowded pulvini, more numerous and 
stouter and terete spines, smaller flowers, and more spinulose fruit may serve to 
indicate it. ‘The short and tumid joints resemble the joints of a finger.” 
Among Dr, Weber’s manuscript notes the four following Platopuntia 
forms are characterized, but the information concerning them is so 
meager that | do not venture to publish his names. 
OPUNTIA sp. “Cultivated from Venado southward to San Luis Potosi 
under the name ‘tuna chavena.’ A tall plant, bearing a sweet, pleasant- 
tasted fruit which is much brought to market. Flowers red. Iruit the 
size of an egg, wine-red; pulp reddish. Seed large, much compressed.” 
OPUNTIA sp. “Cultivated about San Luis Potosi under the name 
‘tuna blanca.’ Plant high (3 1m.?), quite spiny. Fruit very large, ovoid, 
with whitish pulp, Cultivated for the fruit, which 1s much esteemed, 
but not so frequently as ‘cardona.’ Could it be a form of ficus-indica? 
jut the seed is much larger than that of the Italian forms of that 
species.” 
OPUNTIA sp. “A tall, large-jointed species, with slender acicular 
spines. [Fruit ovoid, spineless, with a larger rather tlat umbilicus with 
circular wrinkles, and apparently numerous (perhaps 35 or 40) circular 
