B0SE — MEXICAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN PLANTS. 309 



NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF 



OPUNTIA. 



Since the appearance of Britton and Rose's paper entitled A Pre- 

 liminary Treatment of the Opuntioideae of North America, published 

 in 1908/* some 20 additional species, chiefly of Opuntia, have been 

 described. This will require a revision of that paper, material for 

 which is now being brought together. In the meantime it seems best 

 to put forth a few additional species, some of which have been on 

 hand a considerable time, others only recently collected. 



Opuntia ballii Rose, Bp. nov. Plate 64. 



Plant low, spreading; joints obovate, fi to 7 cm. long, thickish, pale green, spines 

 brownish, a little flattened, usually ascending or erect, the larger ones 4 to 6 cm. long; 

 flowers probablv small; fruit about 2 cm. long, clavate in outline, glaucous, spineless. 



Type U. S. National Herbarium no. 615400, collected by C. R. Ball at Pecos, Texas, 

 August, 1909 (no. 1506). The photograph was taken in Washington. 



Mr. E. O. Wooton tells me that this species is common in the eastern part of New 

 Mexico. I have a specimen of his plant from the top of the Guadalupe Mountains 

 collected August 3, 1909. 



Not closely resembling any species known to me. 



Opuntia cyclodes (Engelm.). 



Opuntia engelmannii cyclodes Engelm. Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 291. 1856. 

 Opuntia Hndheimeri cyclodes Coult. Contr. Nat. Herb. 3: 422. 1896. 

 Since the publication of the "Preliminary Treatment" I have examined consider- 

 able material of Opuntia engelmannii cyclodes as well as of 0. engelmannii, the latter in 

 its type locality, and I am convinced that the variety deserves specific rank. 

 Opuntia deamii Rose, sp. nov. Plate 65. 



One meter or so high, usually with a definite cylindrical trunk, branching a short 

 distance above the base; branches few, ascending, compact; joints erect or spreading, 

 very large, 25 to 30 cm. long, obovate to oblanceolate, rounded at apex, at first bright 

 leaf green! later dark green, glabrous; areoles remote, often 4 cm. apart, rather small 

 for size of joints; spines stout, white or dull yellow, somewhat flattened, 2 to 6, usually 

 4 spreading or porrect, 3 to 5.5 cm. long; flowers 7 cm. long, reddish; fruit short- 

 oolong, 6 cm. long, naked except a few spines (8 to 12 mm. long) at the tip, wine-red 

 both within and without, disagreeable in taste; seeds small, 3 mm. in diameter. 



Type U. S. National Herbarium no. 535893, collected by Charles C. Deam (no. 

 62^8) Fiscal June 7, 1909. The photograph was taken in the field by Mr. Deam. 



Of the same species are William R. Maxon's no. 8303 from near Salama, January 20, 

 1905 and F. Eichlam's no. 40, also from near Fiscal. 



The above description is drawn from Mr. Deam's plant supplemented by a very full 

 description kindly sent me by F. Eichlam, who states that his plant is the same, with 

 which opinion I am in accord. 



Mr Eichlam also states that the plants grow close together forming an almost im- 

 penetrable thicket, and that the trunks are generally covered with branches from the 

 ground up and do not usually take the cylindrical form shown in Mr. Deam's 

 photograph because the plants are so frequently broken or cut by the passers-by. In 

 speaking of the distribution Mr. Eichlam states that as soon as the first high road is 

 passed after leaving Guatemala Ci ty in the direction of Fiscal the species opens the 



« Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections (Quarterly Issue), vol. 50, pt. 4. 



