Tas. 6652. 
OPUNTIA Davistt. 
Native of New Mexico. 
Nat. Ord. Cactrrx.—Tribe OpunTIEz. 
Genus Opuntia, Mill. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. i. p. 857.) 
Opuntia Davisii; caule dense lignoso ramosissimo, ramis divaricatis adscendentibus 
eylindricis, articulis junioribus erectis elongatis basi attenuatis, tuberculis 
oblongo-linearibus prominulis, setis stramineis tenerrimis, aculeis interioribus 
4—7 subtriangularibus rufis apice pallidioribus vagina straminea laxa fulgida 
indusiatis divergentibus seu reflexis, aculeis gracilioribus inferioribus 5-6, bacca 
ovata, pulvillis sub-25 setas stramineas aculeolosque paucos gerentibus, umbilico 
lato.— Engelm. 
O. Davisii, Engelm. in Whipple Exped. p. 49, t. xvi. f. 1-4. 
A small shrubby species, remarkable for the bronzy colour 
of the flowers, which have a peculiar metallic lustre, which 
cannot be produced on the Plate. I give it the name 
under which it is cultivated by Mr. Loder, in his most 
interesting and rich collection of Cacteew. It presents in 
some respects deviations from Hngelmann’s figure and 
description, but not more than might be expected to occur 
between young cultivated and old native specimens. In 
' Engelmann’s native specimen the spines are much larger 
and stouter, and the calyx wants the stout horn-like slightly 
recurved spines seen in the cultivated one (in which how- 
ever all the fruits seen are described as sterile). I have 
preferred giving Dr. Engelmann’s latin character for the 
Species to one drawn up from the young cultivated speci- 
mens, to which I have restricted the English description. 
O. Davisii is a native of the district of New Mexico, 
eastward and westward of the Tucumcari hills in lat. 35° N. 
and long. 104° W., on the head waters of the Canadian 
river, a branch of the Arkansas. 
I am indebted to Mr. Loder for the specimen here figured, 
which flowered with him in July last. He informs me that 
OCTOBER Ist, 1882. 
