^ MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN, 



Opuntia texana sp. nov. 



Plant erect to ascending, spreading, rather open, about 9 dm. high and 

 12 to 15 dm. in diameter when full grown; joints obovate, often 20 by 28 

 cm., but more commonly smaller, about 16 by 20 cm., glaucous, gray- 

 green, turning to a scurfy brown and finally dull, dirty gray and scaly 

 upon old trunks; areoles obovate, 3 to 4 mm. in longest diameter on sides 

 of joints but larger and subcircular on the edges, all becoming larger and 

 Bubcircular with age, brown turning to dirty black or obscured entirely by 

 the spicules in age, 3.5 to 5 cm. apart on sides of joints; wool brown in situ, 

 light tawny when removed; spicules yellow, formidable, unequal, scattered, 

 but always more numerous above, mostly 10 to 13 mm. in length, becom- 

 ing both longer and more numerous with age; spines yellow throughout 

 and remaining so for two or three years, then becoming dull, dirty yellow, 

 elightly sloping downward, mostly one on sides of joints first year and 1 

 to 3 or 4 on edges, increasing with age to as high as 6 or 8 but mostly 3 or 

 4, the longest 5 to 6 cm. long, mostly 2.5 to 4 cm., flattened, twisted, 

 faintly annular; flowers yellow, stigma deep, dark green, 6 to 9 parted; 

 fruit obovate, purplish red throughout, about 4 by 6.5 cm. 



This species is most closely related to Opuntia Lindheimerif 

 from which it differs mostly in the color, arrangement, and 

 position of its spines. It is usually more productive of 

 fruit, more subject to disease, and less vigorous than that 

 species. 



It has been with considerable difficulty that I have been 

 able to settle upon the exact type of Opuntia Lindheimeri. 

 The species was collected originally by Lindheimer at New 

 Braunfcls, Texas, and forwarded to Dr. Kngelmann, who evi- 

 dently grew the cuttings forwarded to him in the greenhouse. 

 The only specimens preserved are imperfect ones which he 

 cultivated under artificial glass house conditions at St. Louis. 

 At New Braunfels, however, the largest and most numerous 

 plants are those of what I consider to be a typical Opuntia 

 LdndJieimeri. The species described above also occurs com- 

 monly, but not so abundantly as the other. However, I am 

 free to confess that the type specimen, as preserved in the 

 Engclmann collection, might easily pass for either species. 

 There is one statement in the Engclmann description, "setis 

 fiavidis," which would lead one to suspect that Engelmann 

 possibly might have had the species here described rather 

 than Opuntia lAndheimeri as I understand it; but, on the 

 other hand, he states that the plant is erect, often six or 



