262 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



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reached maturity in 3 years from single joint cuttings. The 



name applied to the species is used in Mexico and along our 

 border in a very loose way. It is applied to many species, 

 and has no reference, as one might suppose, to their 

 origin. This is but one of several species called ''Nopal de 



Castilla/^ 



The type is no. 9213 D, G., prepared from a plant which 

 has been cultivated to maturity from cuttings secured in 

 Southern Texas. The plants from which cuttings were secured 

 were developed from cuttings brought from Mexico about 

 twelve years ago. The species has been found in cultivation 

 in several situations in southern Texas. — Plate 24. 



Opuntia fuliginosa sp. nov. 



A tall, open brandling tree, 4 or more meters high, and 4 or more dm. 

 In diameter at base, with a black scaly trunk, very woody; joints sub- 

 circular to obovate, bright yellowish, glossy green, invariably turning to a 

 dark, sooty hue with a fungous (?) growth, very variable in size, commonly 

 about 1.5 by 2 dm., thin, scarcely tuberculate, yet not perfectly smooth; 

 leaves subulate pointed, 8 to 12 mm, long; areoles elliptical to obovate, 

 4 or 5 mm, in longest diameter, light gray becoming tawny and finally 

 black, 3 to 4 cm. apart; spicules yellow, very variable, often brownish, 

 unequal in length, but commonly 8 to 10 mm.; spines 2 to 3 cm. long, 

 translucent, bone-like, light brown, becoming whitened distally, leaving 

 bases brownish translucent but in second or third year becoming a dirty, 

 mottled gray throughout, subcrect, spreading, with the lower recurved 



and the central longeL;t, flattened, and often twisted, 2 to 8 in number but 



more commonly 2 to 4, increasing in both length and numbers for 2 or 3 

 years; flowers yellow streaked with red and always red when closed, 

 small, 4 cm. across when open and about 2.5 cm. long; filaments light 

 chocolate; stigma yellowish green, 6- to 9-parted; ovary subglobose to 

 obovate, deeply pitted, thickly beset with subcircular areoles bearing a 

 few spicules and a few delicate fugacious spines; fruit red, obovate to 

 pyriform, with circular areoles, well filled with a largo tuft of prominent 

 yellow spicules surrounded by the blackened wool, pulp very deep red and 

 rind tliin. 



The species is easily recognized by its blackened appearance 

 in its native habitat, but this coloration is entirely lost when 

 cultivated in this country. The spines and flowers and bright 

 glossy appearance of the young growth in its native home, 

 and of the entire plant under cultivation (three years old) in 

 this country, are very characteristic. The species is very 



