OPUNTIA. 



43 



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The type species is Cactus opuntia Linnaeus 



Karl Schumann 



131 species in his " Gesamtbeschreibung 



published during the years 1897 and 1898, Many 

 graph was published. 



The name Opuntia was that of a town in Greece, where some 

 to have grown. 



The genus is important economically. It furnishes the welM 

 imported into our eastern cities from Italy and which is common ir 



fruit 



Some species are used for hedges, the branches of others are cooked like spinach, and still 

 others furnish forage for stock. 



The species are numerous and very diverse, and have at various times been grouped 



by authors into several genera, while other species, 

 Maihuenia, and Pereskiopsis, were included in Opuntia 



cferred by us to Nop' 



Consolea was 



referred to Opuntia have been regarded as distinct from it: 

 y Lemaire in 1862. He described five species, of which 



C. ruhescens is the first and therefore the type. This group 



ylind 



sema 



Sp 



They 



There are eight species 

 confined to the West 



Indies, although C. rubescenSy the spineless racfe of Opuntia catacantka, was originally 



described as from Brazil— doubtless erroneously. 



Tephrocactus was described by Lemaire 

 itia. T. diadematus is the type species 



referred 



Opu 



genus, with 15 species. They are 



Schumann included it in Opuntia 



South 



In 



name 



St. Lager in 1880, based on Opuntia ficus-indica, whic 



h Opuntia opuntia. . 



Cactodendron was proposed in an account of Whipple's Exped 



volumes ;; 

 i a formal 



is published. ] 

 this conclusion: 



d 



Cactodendron Bigelow Pac. R. Rep. 3: 102; 4: 7, 11; Additional Notes and Corrections iii. 1856. 



"There are * * * Opuntia of many varieties; some with wide leaf-like joints, others of 

 shrubby form and woody fibre, which the botanist proposes to name Cactodendron. Pac. K. Kep. 

 3: 102. 



Immediately on our entrance into this valley (November 19 [1856]) we found and collected 

 ew species of Opuntia, with prostrate, nearly terete joints, entirely devoid of woody libre 

 ieutenant Whipple discovered the first specimen of our n^^v Cactodendron, as we were pleased 



a 



* 



from 



Pac. R. Rep. 4- 7- 



''The arborescent Opuntia^ first found near Zuni, which, to f^^'^^f^'^^^^ 

 cens, we called Cacto-dendron, finds its western limits near the termination of this region. Pac, 



R.Rep.4:io. ■ ^ ,..»„...» ...o^^TT wiO/,,/,1//^ 



I 



E 



Opuntia 



I 



great 



Among the names 



sucker and bullsucker 

 cane cactus, 



most commonlre : prickly pear in the United States ; tuna in Mex.co 



Lesser 

 Mexican names 



For 



Dr. David Griffiths has 



published a list of names used in Mexico 



The genus 0,;;^^ as Understood 1.y us, is composed of at least^^50 spec.es ^«mo- 



than 900 names are to be found 



specimens 



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