OPUNTIA. 



93 



flowers lateral, brownish; ovary small, with a depressed umbilicus, its arcolcs bearing small glochids 

 and a little wool; fruit 12 to 15 mm. long; seeds 3 mm. broad, irregular. 



Type locality: Near Moreno, J 

 Distribution: Northern Areent 



from 



by Dr. Shafer on stony plains at Villaz6n, Bolivia, in February 19 17, but was not in bloom. 



Illustration: Nov. Act. Soc. Sci. Upsal. IV. i': pi. 8, f. 4 to 8. 

 Figure 107 is copied from the illustration above cited. 



63. Opuntia hickenii sp. no v. 



Low, cespitose, forming clusters i meter in diameter; joints globular, 3 to 5 cm. in diameter, 

 strongly tuberculate, the lower tubercles usually spineless ; areoles rather large, circular ; spines 2 to 5, 

 flat and thin, narrow, weak, pungent, 5 to 12 cm. long, silvery-colored but nearly black in age; 

 flowers yellow; fruit not known. 



Type in United States National Herbarium, No. 603229, from Puerto Madryn, Chubut, 

 Argentina, collected by Cristobal M. Hicken. 



Common in Chubut and Rio Negro, southern Argentina, where it was collected several 



times by Dr. Hicken. 



Figure 108 represents the type specimen above cited. 



A photograph of a plant from San Juan, Argentina, communicated by Dr. Spegaz- 

 zini, indicates another species of this relationship. 



64. Opuntia darwinii Henslow, Mag. Zool. Bot. i : 466. 1837. 



Low, perhaps not more than 2 to 4 cm. high, much branched at base from a more or less elon- 

 gated woody root; joints normally few, nearly globular, about 3 cm. in diameter, or often nearly 

 cylindric, frequently numerous and small and growing out from the main axis, then only 5 to 10 mm. 

 in diameter; areoles large, filled with wool, the lower ones spineless; spines i to 3, nearly erect, the 

 longest one 3 to 3.5 cm. long, yellow or reddish yellow, decidedly flattened; flowers originally de- 

 scribed as larger than the joints, but certainly often much smaller; petals yellow, broad, with a trun- 

 cate or depressed top and usually with a mucronate tip; ovar>% in spcamens seen, only 2 cm. long, 

 covered with large woolly areoles ; styles described as stout, with 9 thick radiating stigma-lobcs. 



-♦ 



Type locality: Port Desire, Patagonia, latitude , 



Distribution: Southern Argentina. 



This species seems to be common in that part 

 ritory of Santa Cruz, Argentina. We have recent 

 made in this region, especially one from about Lake 

 by Carl Skottsberg, in 1907- 1909. 



The plant is in cultivation in Europe and is off 



south. 



Darwm 



otherwise 



J S. Henslow. The illustration of the flowers seems too 

 pirlv well the Dlant as we know it. The following intercst- 



from Mr. Henslow's article as it appeared in the Magazine of Zoology 



volume 



I have named this interesting Cactus after my friend C Darwin Esq wl,^^^^^^^^ 

 returned to England, after a five years' absence on board H. M. S. Beagle, «'""^"»';Xred in the 

 insun-eying thi sout,_,ernmos^_pans of S»* Amenc. 1 he =P--™ ,£-f , ^ ^a'^seen Z 



Julian in lat. 49° S. It is a small species growing close 



January 



bame plant in nower as lar soutn as rui l ol. j u"«" " — -rj — ^, flr>wpr<; VnH ono dav 

 to the ground on arid gravelly plains, at no great distance from the sea The ^^^^^^ ^^^^°^"^^^^ 

 X.-J i . .. .• ? _ .t..-Lfl„* :^^4r^u\\\^^T ivTi rh their stamens manifested upon nis mscrung a 



arresiea nis attention by tne greai. irruciuuiLj. ^,..^.. w.^.. w„.- . cpirments of 



piece of straw into the tW, w^en they immediately collapsed round ^^^^^^^ 



the perianth soon after closed also. 



procure 



day, and returned to the ship with the one now ngurea, out ""^"//"'^t^^^/V i;_T':o^^^^^^^ of this 

 afterwards, and he was prevented from obtaining any more. 1 he geographical position 



