2G4 



MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



rived from the Spanish 

 cochincria, the equivt 

 referring to the spines. 



for hog. It may be derived from 

 of the English word meanness, 



The type is no. 8490 D. G 

 icatccas, Mexico. Seotember 5 



at Los Campos, 



Plate 2G. 



Opuntia Ohavena sp. nov. 



An open branching, erect tree, 18 to 30 dm. high, sometimes quite strict 

 but more often with a span of 12 to 18 dm., witli distinct black, scaly 

 trunk; joints rather bright yellowish green, and maintaining the same color 

 for four years or more, broadly obovatc, about 22 by 30 cm. being common 

 size; arcolcs circular below to obovatc above, about G mm. in longest 

 diameter, but increasing in size with age, 2 to 3 cm. apart; wool tawny, 

 plainly cellular-jointed, black on surface; spicules lemon yellow, very 

 variable in length, at times scarcely reaching surface of joint and at other 

 times 9 to 10 nun. long; spines white with translucent tips, soon becoming 

 mottled and finally dirty gray or black, slightly angular, flattened, but not 

 twisted, 5 to 7 or 8 on hist year's joints, and increasing to 15 or more on 

 older joints, but apparently not increasing after 4 or 5 years, longest on 

 last year's joints, 12 to 14 mm. and graduating down to 2 or 3 mm., often 

 3 cm. long on older joints, stiff, rigid, erect, spreading and very difficult 

 to handle; flowers yellow, filaments greenish, style red, stigma liglit bright 

 green (only one belated bloom seen); fruit red with thick rind and deeper 

 red pulp, its areoles subcircular to obovate, 8 to 12 mm. apart, with a tuft 

 of formidable yellow spicules surrounded by gray ends of wool, also bear- 

 ing a few delicate fugacious yellow spines about 12 mm, long; seeds angular, 

 scarcely notched at hilum, with narrow marginal thickening.* 



The species is most closely reflated to the 0. megacaniJia- 

 lasiacantha group, but these species differ in fruit characters 

 and color of joints especially, and constitute a distinct group 



in themselves. 



d and 



three or four varieties even by the Mexican peon. 



In this species I include three varieties recognized by the 

 Mexicans, namely, "caidillo/' "chavcno," and "cascaron." 

 The first is distinguished mainly by its habit of dropping 

 its fruit when ripe, it also has on an average rather smaller 

 joints. Cascaron has joints somewhat larger and more 

 nearly circular than chavcfio. The first and last names are 

 less frequently used than chaveno, it being commonly the 

 only name applied to any form of the species. 



t 



* Sec Bull. 16, pi. 6, f. S. B. r. I., U. S. Dept. Agric. 



