Tas. 8290. 
OPUNTIA IMBRICATA. 
Mexico and South-western United States. 
CactacEak. Tribe OPUNTIEAE. 
Opuntia, Mill.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen, Plant. vol. i, p. 851. 
1 
Opuntia imbricata, DC. Prodr. vol. iii. p. 471; K. Schum. Monogr. Cuct. 
: p. 668; species ex affinitate O. tunicatae, Link et Otto, sed elatior et ab ea 
spinis numerosioribus brevioribus floribusque kermesino-purpureis valde 
diversa. 
Frutex 1-2 m. altus vel arbor 3-4 m. alta, trunco 12-25 em. crasso, Rami 
verticillati, patentissimi vel adscendentes ; ramuli 4-16 em, longi, 2-3 em. 
crassi, cylindrici, glaucescenti-virides, tuberculati tuberculis costas breves 
1°5-8°5 em. longas compressas formantibus. /ulvilli depressi, breviter 
tomentosi. lia teretia, patula, 1°2-2 cm. longa. -Aculei 8-30, stellatim 
divaricati, 6-20 (raro 25-3))) mm. longi, cornei vel fusci, vaginis arcte 
_ vestiti, 1-8 interiores longiores. lores 5-7°5 cm. diametro, kermesino- 
purpurei. Ovariwm 20-25-tuberculatum, superne parce foliosum ; pulvilli 
setis paucis deciduis instructi. Sepala 8-13, obovata, obtusa vel retusa, 
viridia, purpureo-marginata. Petala 10-12, 2-seriata, obtusa vel retusa, 
breviter vel brevissime apiculata, kermesino-purpurea. Stamina numero- 
sissima; filamenta purpurea; antherae luteae. Stiymat« 8-10, lutea. 
Fructus subglobosus vel hemisphaericus, apice planus vel depressus, circiter 
2-5 em. diametro, tuberculatus, inermis, luteus.—O. rosea, DC. Prodr. vol. 
iii, p. 471; Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. vol. xvii. p. 66, t. 15; Pfeiff. Enum. 
Diagn. Cact. p. 171; Foerst. Handb. Cact. ed. 2, p. 986, fig. 131. 0. 
arborescens, Engelm. Bot. Wislez. Exped. p. 6; Pacif. Rail. Rep. vol. iv. 
pp. 51 et 58, t. 17, fig. 5,6: t. 18, fig. 4: t. 24, fig. 12: t. 75, fig. 16, 17; 
Foerst. Handb. Cact. ed. 2, p. 984. . stellata, Salm Dyck, Hort. Dyck. 
pp. 50 et 250; Engelm. in Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist. vol. vi. p. 208 (sub 
O. arborescente). Cereus imbricatus, Haw. Rev. Pl. Suce. p. 70.—N. E. 
Brown. 
Opuntia imbricata is a native of the dry interior of 
Central and Northern Mexico and of the adjacent regions 
to the north; its range extends through Arizona, New 
Mexico and Western Texas as far north as Pikes Peak in 
Colorado. For the material from which the figure now 
given has been prepared we are indebted to Sir E. G. Loder, 
Bart., in whose collection at Leonardslee, Horsham, a plant 
which he had himself collected in Colorado in 1878 flowered 
early in August, 1908. This species is a member of a 
small group of Opuntias characterised by their cylindric 
DecemsBeR, 1909, 
