

144 



THE CACTACHAE. 



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145. Opuntia phaeacantha Engelmann in Gray, Mem. Amer. Acad. 4: 52. 1849. 



Opuntla phaeacantha hrtinnea Engelmann, Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 293. 1856. 

 Opuntia phaeacantha major Engelmann, Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 293. 1856. 

 Opuntia phaeacantha wgrtcanj Engelmann, Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 293. 1856. 

 Opuntia camanchica Engelmann and Bigelow, Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 293. 1856. 

 Opuntia chihuahuensis Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 291. 1909. ' 



Opuntia toumeyi Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 402, 1909. 



Opuntia blakeana Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 402. 1909. 



Opuntia zuniensis Griffiths, Bull. Torr. Club 43: 86. 1916. (From the description.) 



Low, usually prostrate, with some branches ascending; joints usually longer than broad, 10 to 

 15 cm. long; areoles rather remote, the lower ones often spineless; spines i to 4, those on the 

 sides of the joints more or less reflexed, somewhat flattened, usually rather stout, brown, some- 

 times darker at base, or often nearly white throughout, the longer ones 5 to 6 cm. long; glo- 

 chids numerous, yellow to brown; flowers 5 cm. broad, yellow; ovary short; fruit 30 to 35 mm. 

 long, much contracted at base. 



Type locality: About Santa Fe and on the Rio Grande, New Mexico. 



Distribution: Texas to Arizona and Chihuahua. 



We have referred to Opuntia phaeacantha the common low, bushy Opuntia with small 

 joints, brown spines, and yellow flowers of the Southwest ; we formerly regarded it as com- 

 posed of several species, and others have followed our lead; but we are unable to draw any 

 distinct lines after a study of much additional herbarium and greenhouse material. Dr. 

 Rose has collected a large series of specimens from the Southwest, especially from the type 

 localities, but his specimens seem to bridge over differences which before seemed tangible; 

 cited diff'erences appear to be racial rather than specific. 



Opuntia blakeana, which is found west of the Rocky Mountains, one would expect to 

 be different. It is characterized bv small obovate ioints, rather short soines. small vellow 



flowers purple at center. 



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opuntia chihuahuensis, which was first described from Mexican specimens 



southern 



range of O. phaeacantha. It, too, has yellaw flowers with red 

 centers, rather large joints, and long, slender spines. Mr. Wooton is of the opinion that to 

 O. chihuahuensis is to be referred the common, low, brown species from El Paso, which 

 includes the specimens of G. R. Vasey, which Coulter called Opuntia mesacantha oplocarpa. 



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form extends north throughout eastern New Mexico 



Colorado. With the latter form Mr. Wooton believes Op 

 we take this broad view of the limits of this soecies we a 



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to include Op 



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toumeyi, although it is much larger than O. blakeana, and was considered bv Dr 

 be different. 



Opuntia mesacantha sphaerocarpa Wooton and Standley (Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb 

 446. 191 5) is a mistake, O. mesacantha oplocarpa being intended. 



Opuntia rubrifolia Engelmann in Coulter (Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 424. il 



; in this series if E. W. Nelson's No. i ';6. from the same t 



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determined 



been lost. 



specimen 



albisp 



I been offered by Haage and Schmidt 

 1911-1912); orbicularis, rubra, and 



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salmonea (all in Haupt-Verzeichnis 1908: 228. 1908). Under 0. camanchica has been 

 mentioned also variety luteo-staminea (Cat. Darrah Succ. Manchester 53. 1908). 



eocarpa Griffiths (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 29: 11. 1916), also O. recurvo- 



Griffiths (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washingt 

 hs (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washingt 

 Washington 29: 13. 19 16) are of this relationship. 



pin a 



Griffiths 



Opuntia microcarpa^ Engelmann (Emory, Mil. Reconn. 158. f. 7. 1848) and 0. violacea 



(Emory, Mil 



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from 



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;Since the above was written Dr. Griffiths (Bull. Torr. Club. 43: 527) has published a detailed account of this 

 species, which he regards as distinct; it inhabits southern Arizona. 



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