OPUNTIACEAE 899 
2. OPUNTIA [Tourn.] Mill. Shrubs or trees, the trunk of fused joints, 
more or less irregular, usually widely or diffusely branched, the branches 
(joints) flat, armed at the areolae with solitary or clustered spines which 
arise from among clusters of bristles, or spineless. Leaves small, fleshy, thick 
scales, deciduous. Flowers large, at least relatively so, solitary or several on 
a joint. Hypanthium broadened bu) with areolae like the joints. Sepals 
fleshy, mostly green. Petals broad, usually broadened upward. Berries longer 
than thick, Men is upward, mostly fleshy. Seeds set eochleate, with 
ren edges and glabrous sides.—About 260 species, American. —Prickny. -PEARS. 
DEVIL’S PINCUSHIONS. TUNAS: DEVIL’S-TONGUES.—The fruits of prickly- 
pears are edible. They formed an important food-supply for dis aborigines, 
who also used the stems as food by roasting them. The fruits are much used 
for food in some countries to-day. In the following descriptions the color 
the spine is first stated for the immature stage, followed by the mature stage 
when dry and the mature stage when wet. 
Joints of the stem and of the branches loosely attachec, readily separating when 
shocked or touched, or even when blown by the wind, at least in the case of 
the smaller plants: fruits early deci Se ee of some species often propa- 
Spines aci icular, gray or salmon-colo red the frst T a hen dry. 
Longer spines of each areola solitary or paire ed, 
the rst year, when dry. I. CURASSAVICAE. 
Longer spines of each areola several, salmon-colored 
the first year, gray the secon nd vear, when dry. II. PISCIFORMES. 
Spines subulate, ivory- -white the first year, gray t 
second year, when dry III. TUNAE. 
Joints of the Sr ang of the branches firmly attached: 
d persisten 
nts glabrous; ines icular to elongate-subulate: 
Mn rigid, or ene: dealt: with few 
ae. 
Plants with spine-armed joints. 
ERU spines gray when ‘dry, at least in the 
econd year 
Mie ns ants. prostrate or erect and pd 
ofte Pur shy ; D gray, or white, or 
Sellos z the first ye , becoming gray at 
maturity, when 
nes bri ae yellow the first year, gray the 
secon 
Spines gr tie he oe Vi or white the first 
and gray the second. V. TORTISPINAE. 
Mature SE S adr ahe joints of the 
ain stem fused into a dM I. 
whieh divides above into a fev many 
pr Pe i red the first A E 
at maturity, when dry VI. AMMOPHILAE. 
Mature dd yellow, red, or red- br own when dry, 
cha nged from year to year, uniform, dis- 
peed 
Y. OCHROCENTRAE. 
d or ban 
Mature spines ee or slightly discolored, 
often stout and cluste red, sometimes curved, 
"Ma ely M eH and then No. hidden in 
the areola ot closely spirally twisted. VII. DILLENIANAE. 
IE Bm ed or red-brown, banded in our 
gia E Spay twisted. VIII. ELATIORES. 
Plants with un 
oe eee a thinnish, with persistent bristles 
the eolae: berries small, less than 5 ecm. 
ng. V. TORTISPINAE. 
Xoints thick and turgid, with deciduous or obso- 
lete br n in the areolae: berries large, over 
5 em, IX. FICUS-INDICAE. 
Joints pubescent: spines setaceous, pliable: hypanthium 
with numerous areola X. LEUCOTRICHAE. 
