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THE CACTACEAE. 







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Fig. 146. — Opuntia depressa, in the foreground. 



Series 5. BASILARES. 



We recognize eight species as forming this series. They are low or bushy, much branched 

 plants, with flat, thin, broad joints, the areoles small, usually numerous and close together. 



Key to Species. 



Joints papillose, not pubescent. 



Fruit juicy, red 



Fruit dry or nearly dry 



Joints mosUy manifestly pubescent. 



Spines none or few. 



Flowers red 



107. 

 108. 



O. lubrica 

 0. treleasei 



Flowers yellow to orange. 

 Joints bright green. 



Glochids long 



Glochids short. . . . 



109. 0. basilaris 



no. 

 III. 

 112. 



Joints grayish green 



Spines very numerous. 



Areoles close together i j^ 



Areoles distant 



114 



0. tnicrodasys 

 0. macrocalyx' 

 O, rufida 



O. pycnantha 

 0. comonduensis 



Mo 



1910 



very similar in habit to 0. tnicrodasys, frequently a}4 



high and when well developed lo dm. or more in diameter; joints sub-circular to obovate, about 15 

 by 20 cm., or in case of last joints of previous year about 12 by 15 cm., bright, glossy, leaf -green, very 

 evidently papillate but scarcely pubescent under a lens ; leaves subulate, cuspidate-pointed, 6 to 9 

 mm. in length; areoles 15 to 22 mm. apart, 4 to 6 mm. in diameter, sub-circular, prominent; spicules 

 prominent, 4 to 5 mm. in length, erect, bushy, in crescentic tufts in upper portion of areoles, becom- 

 ing much more numerous in age, and at 2 to 4 years completely filling the areole, and, like O. rufida 

 and some other species, becoming very abundant and conspicuous by proliferation of areolar tissue 

 into short raised or columnar structures ; spines exceedingly variable, sometimes nearly absent, again 

 quite abundant and irregularly distributed, none to many, mostly i to 3, becoming more numerous 

 with age and in scattering areoles to as high as 16, mostly about 1 2 mm. long, but sometimes 2}^ cm., 

 yellowish, translucent, bonehke, sometimes darker at base; fruits decidedly acid Hght red without 

 with yellowish green rind and red pulp; seed small, thin shelled, about 3 mm. in diameter." 



Type locality: Near Alonzo, Mexico. 

 Distribution: Known only from the tvne loralitv 



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