220 



THE CACTACHAH. 



Collected in thickets on dry hills near Sibambe, Province of Chimborazo, Ecuador, 

 by J. N. Rose and George Rose, August 29, 1918 (No. 22432). 



The locahty at which this species is 

 found is semiarid and a number of other 

 cacti are associated with it, among which 

 is the little O. pestijcr, described on a 

 preceding page. O. aequatorialis was not 

 so common as some of the other species 

 and was usually found growing up through 

 open-branched bushes and was in this 

 way more or less protected. 



Figure 288 is from a photograph of 

 the type plant taken by George Rose; 

 figure 289 shows one of its joints. 



116 a. Opuntia lata Small, Journ. N. Y. Bot. 



Gard. 20: 26. 

 126, ante.) 



1919 



(See page 



Plant prostrate, often radially branched, 

 sometimes forming mats nearly a meter in 

 width, the tip of the branches sometimes 

 assurgent, with elongate cord-like roots ; 

 joints elliptic to narrowly obovate, often 

 narrowly so, thick, 4 to 15 cm. long, deep 

 green, sometimes glaucous, especially when 

 young; leaves subulate, 6 to 11 mm. long, 

 green or purple- tinged ; areoles scattered, 

 often conspicuous, sometimes very promi- 

 nent and densely bristly, the marginal ones, 

 at least, armed; spines slender, solitary or 2 

 together, pink, turning red or red-banded, 

 at maturity gray or nearly white, nearly 



Fig. 288. — Opuntia aequatorialis 



Fig. 289. — O. aequatorialis. X0-4 



Figs. 290 and 291. — O. lata. X0.4. 



Figs. 292 and 293. — 



Opuntia macateei 

 X0.4. 



