310 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



area of distribution of the xerophiloue flora. Large groves exist in the neighborhood 

 of Fiscal, and the line of distribution extends from here to San Jose de Golfo and to 

 Sanarata. 



Opuntia delicata Rose, sp. nov. 



A small, procumbent plant with rather thin, ovate, bluish, slightly glaucous joints, 

 often only 4 to 9 cm. in diameter; areoles prominent, bearing conspicuous brown spic- 

 ules; lower areoles spineless, the upper ones bearing one or two slender brownish 

 spines (the longer one 3 to 4 cm. long); flowers yellow, 5 cm. long; fruit oblong, spine- 

 less, 2 to 3 cm. long; seeds small, about 4 mm. in diameter, nearly smooth. 



Type U. S. National Herbarium no. 454622, collected by J. N. Rose at Calabasa 

 April 30, 1908 (no. 11951). 



Common in southeastern Arizona and observed at Calabasa, Nogales, and UeiiBon. 

 The description is made up from living and herbarium material. The fruit and seeds 

 are described from material collected by J. W. Tourney in the Santa Rita Mountains. 



Mr. Tourney refers his material to 0. stenockila, which it closely resembles in its 

 seeds. 



Opuntia eichlamii Rose, sp. nov. Pi ate 66 



Tree-like shrubs of considerable size, up to 5 and 6 meters in height, growing straight 

 and erect, the old portions of the stem round, covered with gray bark; joints from 

 obovate, 15 by 20 cm., to almost rotund, 25 cm. wide, forming a scanty crown; epi- 

 dermis smooth, with a dull gloss, dark green; areoles oval, 2 by 3 mm., 3 to 3.5 cm 

 apart, visibly sunk in a protuberance, this flattened below, 10 mm. long and 6 mm! 

 wide, with brownish wool and very transient fox-red glochids; spines 4 to 6, very 

 unequal, 1 cm. or less long, rose-color when young, in most cases, soon becoming white, 

 exceedingly sharp, spreading asunder, rather inclined to point downward, the lowest 

 even lying close to the joint; leaves on young joints, caducous, cylindrical, gray at 

 the base running into reddish above, with little red tips bent outwards; flowers pro- 

 duced from the edge of the joint, 7.5 cm. long; ovary cylindrical, 3.7 cm. long, 2 5 cm 

 in diameter, bright leaf-green, thickly covered with tubercles 6 to 7 mm. apart, its 

 areoles with dark brown wool and dark fox-red glochids penicillately disposed; corolla 

 3.5 cm. long, rotate when in full bloom, beginning with dark reddish brown scales 

 changing into magnificent brilliant carmine petals, 1.5 cm. wide; stamens 1.5 cm' 

 long, green at the base, rose-colored toward the top; anthers bright yellow, standing 

 in rows of 10 to 12 on the steeply sloping wall of the deeply umbilicate ovary style 

 2.5 cm. long, stout in the lower third, ventriculose, dark red, brighter toward the'upper 

 part, ending in 8 to 11 bright green, club-like stigmas inclining toward one another 

 ripe fruit 4 cm. long by 3 cm. thick; strongly tuberculate; pulp red, very watery, and 

 unfit to eat; seeds developed in profusion, of a reddish brown color. 



Type U. S. National Herbarium no. 617659, collected in Guatemala in 1910 bv 

 F. Eichlam (no. 13). 



Mr. Eichlam states that it is not widely distributed, so far as he has been able to 

 learn. He says that, on the high plain of Guatemala, the species is found in a north- 

 easterly direction, in the nearest suburbs of Guatemala City, especially on the old 

 road to Mexico, and that between the city and churchyard it is scattered about in the 

 thickets and grass. 



The above description is based upon one furnished by Mr. Eichlam, who also sent 

 three photographs, one of which is here reproduced. 



Opuntia mackensenii Rose, sp. nov. Plate 67 



Plants often producing thick, tuberous roots, low (rarely over 30 cm. in height) 

 sometimes 1 to 2 meters broad; stems mostly prostrate, the branches often erect or 

 ascending; joints mostly suborbicular (occasionally broader than long), varying to 

 obovate, 8 to 16 or rarely 20 cm. in diameter, pale and glaucous when young rather 

 deep green when older; areoles filled with brown bristles and pale wool when young 



