156 



THE CACTACEAE. 



at the base, glabrous; arcolcs few, only about 12 on each side of a joint, distant, large, nearly cir- 

 cular. 8 to 10 mm. broad, slightly elevated, bearing many short glochids, but quite spineless; leaves 

 subulate, about 3 mm. long; ovary obconic, 3 to 4 cm. long, bearing a few small areoles; sepals 



triangular, acute 



Catamarca, Argentina, J. A. Shafer, December 



15, 1916 (No. 7). 



A spineless species noteworthy for its few, large, distant areoles. 



We 



the series Elatiorcs, but 



affinity. The large distant areoles 



id associating it with the Ficus-indicae or the Strepi 

 Figure 195 represents a joint of the type specimen 



Series 13. ELATAE. 



Erect 



spines, when present, only one or few at each areole. except on the trunk and old joints. 



Key to Species. 



Joints ovate to broadly oblong or obovatc. 



Joints tliin, lustrous, light green. . : . 164. 0. vulgaris 



Joints turgid, dull green. 



Leaves purplish, rigid; joints dark green 165. 0. elata 



Leaves green, not rigid; joints pale green. 



Spines slender, terete 166. 0. cardiosperma 



Spines stout, angled, elongated 167. O. arechavaletai 



Joints narrowly oblong to linear or spatulate. 



Joints oblong to linear; flowers brick-red 168. O. mieckleyi 



Joints spatulate; flowers orange 169. O. bonaerensis 



164. Opuntia vulgaris Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8. No. i. 1768. 



Cactus monacanthos Willdenow, Enum. PI. Suppl. :i;i, 1813. 



Opuntia monacantha Haworth. Suppl. PI. Succ. 81. 1819. 



Cactus urumbeba Vellozo, Fl. Flum. 207. 1825. 



Cactus indicus Roxburgh, Fl. Indica 2: 475. 1832. 



Cactus chinensis Roxburgh, Fl. Indica 2: 476. 1832. - ,. 



Opuntia monacantha gracilior Lemaire, Cact, Gen. Nov. Sp. 68. 1839. 



opuntia umbrella Steudel, Nom. ed, 2. 2: 222. 1841. 



Opuntia roxburghiana Voigt, Hort. Suburb. Calcutt. 62. 1845. 



Opuntia monacantha deflexa Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1849. 66. 1850. 



Opuntia lemaireana Console in Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 894. 1898. 



Plant 2 to 4 or even 6 meters high, often with a definite trunk, usually with a large much 

 branched top; trunk cylindric, 1.5 dm. in diameter, either spiny or smooth; joints ovate to oblong, 

 narrowed at base, i to 3 dm. long, bright shining green; leaves subulate, 2 to 3 mm. long; areoles 

 filled with short wool; glochids brownish; spines i or 2, sometimes more (on the trunk often 10 or 

 more) from an areole, erect, i to 4 cm. long, yellowish brown to dark reddish brown; flowers yellow 

 or reddish, 7.5 cm. broad; sepals broad, each with a broad red stripe down the middle; petals golden- 

 yellow, widely spreading; filaments greenish; style white; stigma-lobes 6, white; ovary spineless, 

 3.5 cm. long; fruit obovoid, 5 to 7.5 cm. long, reddish purple, long-persisting, sometimes proliferous. 



^ 



Typ. 



Uruguay 



Paraguay; an escape in Cuba, India, and south Africa and naturalized in Australia; fre- 

 quently cultivated. According to J. H. Maiden it is found in every state of Australia, but 



become 



inted out by Burkill, the Opuntia vulgaris of Miller is the same 

 0. vulgaris was based on Bauhin's figure (Hist. PI. i: i54- 

 1650), which was taken from Lobehus (Icones 2: 241. 159 1), and is a tall, branching plant. 



Havvorth 



States, long known as O. vulgaris. (See. p. 127.) 



This species is said by Burkill to be distributed over the earth more 



eastern 



spread species. 



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America is that . ficus-indica is by far the most 



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