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11*2 BOTANY OF THE DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION. 



when dry at least, magenta-colored ; stigmas about 10, green; fruit (collected 

 by Parish Brothers) oblong, 2.5 to 3 cm. long, the lower half devoid of spines and 

 wool; seed black, about 2 mm. long, obliquely obovoid, slightly compressed, pitted, 

 the pits somewhat confluent in longitudinal rows. This species, characteristic 

 of the mountains of the Mohave Desert region, is closely related to V. pha-niceus, 

 which ranges from western Texas to Colorado and Arizona, but it is distinguished 

 from the latter species by at least its longer curved spines. Their dowers ami fruit 

 have not been compared iu a sufficiently critical manner to determine the real rela- 

 tion of the two plants. 



This species is remarkable for the color of its rich red flowers, the most beautiful 

 of any cactus with which we met, and for the size of its cespitose clusters of stems. 

 It was found but sparingly, first in the Charleston Mountains, below Clark's saw- 

 mill (No. 321), again in the same range on the eastern slope of Mountain Springs Pass, 

 and lastly iu the Pa namint Mountains, both in Johnson Canon, in Surprise Canon (No. 

 632), and on the divide between them. Dr. Merriam found this species in the White 

 Mountains of California, the Pahranagat, Juniper, and Highland mountains of Ne- 

 vada, and in the Santa Clara Valley of Utah. The smaller plant bore sometimes 

 no more than 10 or 12 stems, but plants witli 100 stems are frequent, oue growing in 

 the Charleston Mountains having by actual count 128. On the north side of l'ana- 

 ink't Pass is a high granitic butte, to the northeast of which, about 400 meters lower, 

 is a darker butte composed of shaly rock. Down the southeast side of the latter 

 butte is a steep ridge covered with broken stones, in which grew a very large speci- 

 men of this plant. It had the form of a dense oblong mat with the center elevated 

 about 20 cm. The greatest diameter of the mass was 99 cm., the shortest 7-1 tin., 

 and the number of the unusually small and closely packed stems was estimated to 

 be about 000, 



The species is characteristic of the belt of Pinus monophylla. 



Opuntia acanthocarpa Kngelm. A Bigel. Pac. R. Pep. iv. 51 (1850). Type locality, 

 '•'on the mountains of Cactus Pass, about 500 miles west of Santa Fe," New Mexico. 



On the eastern slope' of the Charleston Mountains, Nevada (No. 384); from the 

 valley of the Virgin, at a point near Bimkerville, Nevada, to the Beaverdani Moun- 

 tains. Utah (No. 1943); and in the tower Santa Clara. Valley, Utah (Merriam). 



Opuntia angustata Kngelm. & Bigel. Pac, R. Rep. iv. 39 (1856). Type locality, 

 "from the foot of the Inscription rook,' near Zuni, to Williams' river, and west- 

 ward as far as the Ca.jon Pass of the California mountains.'' 



In Johnson Canon, Pan ami nt Mountains (No. 514). 



Opuntia basilaris Kngelm. & Bigel. Pac. R. Rep. iv. 43 (1850). Type locality, 

 "on hills ami in ravines from the Cactus Pass down the valley of Williams" river to 

 the Colorado, and to Mojave creek." 



This is the only flat-stemmed Opunlia oflho Larrea belt in the Mohave Desert. It 

 was found sparingly from Heaperia (Nop. 51, 138) to Death Valley, and afterward 

 more abundantly in the region eastward as far as the expedition went. Westward 

 it extended not only to the limit of the desert vegetation, bat in some cases beyond 

 it; for example, it occurred along the South Fork of Kern River, in tho valley of 

 Oalionto Crock, and in the southern part of the Tulare Plains, in the vicinity of 

 Tejon Ranch. White-flowered specimens were collected between Keeler and Dar- 

 win (No. 941). Dr. Merriam found *his Opunlia also in Deep Spring Valley, Cali- 

 fornia; in Fish Lake Valley, Grapevine Canon, Timpahnte Mountains, Muddy Moun- 

 tains, and valleys of tho Virgin and Muddy rivers, Nevada; and in tho Beavord.ini 

 Mn'nn tains, Utah. 



Opuntia bernavdina Parish, Bull. Torr. Club, xix. 92 (1892)— Kngelm. in herb. 

 Type locality, "dry bills and mesas from the Coast Range to tho San Bernardino 

 Mts., in the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Valleys." 



The common cylindrical-stemmed Opnulia of tho San Bernardino Valley (No. 29). 



