14 



THK CACTACEAE. 



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5. Pereskia (?) zehntneri sp. nov. 



Shrub 2 to 3 meters high, with a central erect trunk, very spiny; branches numerous, horizontal, 

 usually in whorls, sometimes as many as lo in a whorl; branches terete, green, fleshy, very easily 

 detached from the stem; leaves stiff, fleshy, numerous, small, 2 to 4 cm. long, ovate to orbicular 

 acute, standing at right angles to the branches; areoles large, filled with short white wool and 

 numerous slender white spines; flowers at tops of branches, large, 7 to 8 cm. broad, bright red, appear- 

 ing in November; petals broad, retuse; ovary borne in the upper end of the branch, very narrow, 

 3 to 4 cm. long, bearing the usual leaves, areoles, and spines of the branches. 



Collected by Dr. Leo Zehntner (Nos. 567 and 

 630, type) November 15 and 16, 191 2, at Bom Jesus 

 da Lapa, Bahia, Brazil, on the Rio Sao Francisco. 



This is a very rare plant and seen in only one 

 locality, in soil of a peculiar chalky formation. Liv- 

 ing plants were taken by Dr. Zehntner to the Horto 

 Florestal, Joazeiro, Brazil, where they grew well, and 

 whence Dr. Rose obtained specimens in 19 15 which 

 were shipped to the United States under No. 19722. 



The plant is known in Bahia under the name 

 quiabento. It is probably not a true Pereskia; it sug- 

 gests in its habit and foliage some of the Mexican spe- 

 cies of Pereskiopsis, but it may represent a distinct 

 genus. 



Text-figures 6 and 7 are from the type plant 

 above cited. 



6. Pereskia sacharosa Grisebach, Abli, Ges. Wiss. Gottin- 

 ^ gen 24: 141. 1879. 



Pereskia amapola Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 938. 1898. 

 Pereskia argeniina Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 938. 1898. 



^ ii ■ 



Small tree or shrub, 6 to 8 meters high ; branches green 

 and smooth, but in age becoming yellowish or light brown ; 

 leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, 8 to 12 cm. long, cuneate 

 at base, more or less pointed at apex; young areole with i to 

 3 spines, the longest 5 cm. long, the others when present 

 not over half as long, all acicular and dark in age; older 

 areoles often with 6 or more spines; pedicels sometimes 10 

 mm. long; flowers in terminal clusters, either white or 



t ■ 

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Fig. 7. — Pereskia zehntneri. Photograph 



by Paul G. Russell. 



rose-colored and very showy, 8 cm. broad, open at midday; sepals about 8, i or 2 petal- like, the others 

 scale-like, the outer sepals and upper scales bearing long hairs; petals 8, rose-colored, oblanceolate, 

 3 cm. long; stamens free from the petals, numerous, unequal, erect; filaments, style, and stigma- 

 lobes white ; ovules borne on the lower part of ovary ; ovary bearing small leaves, their axils filled with 

 short wool and occasionally bearing a spine ; fruit hard, 2.5 to 4 cm. in diameter, more or less tapering 

 at base, many-seeded, leafless or nearly so, sometimes proliferous. 



Type locality 

 Distribution 

 Schumann 



synonym 

 Opuntia. 



esamtb. Kakteen 765. 1898) 



Opuntia sacharosa 



The Index Kewensis 



which even then were little known. 



this species to P. aculeata, doubtless following 

 I Magazine for 1890 in regard to Argentine plants, 



common name 



a hedge plant. 



Plate II, figure 4, represents a leafy branch of a plant 

 Botanical Garden by Frank Weinberg in 1901; figure s shows ii 



sometimes 



York 





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