CACTUS. 



225 



Short-cylindric, 5 to 10 dm. high; cephalium up to 10 cm. broad, 3 to 5 cm. high, rounded, com- 

 posed of white wool and long brown bristles or spines, much longer than the wool; ribs 10 or 1 1, up 

 to 3 dm. in diameter, prominent, 2 to 3 cm. high; spines about 10 to 12, stout, 3 to 5 cm. long, terete, 

 yellowish to brown; flowers 3 to 4 cm. long; the tube narrowly cylindric, the lobes oblong, obtuse or 

 mucronulate; fruit clavate, much elongated, 5 to 6 cm. long; seeds numerous, black, shining. 



Type locality: Jamaica. 



Distribution: Arid southern parts of Jamaica. 



Dr. Britton studied this plant in the Healthshire Hills, south of Spanish Town, 

 Jamaica, in company with Mr. William Harris in 1908. Here it is abundant on limestone 

 with other cacti and xerophytic shrubs and trees and travelers use it for drinking water by 

 cutting off the top and scraping out the watery pulp. 



Mammillaria communis'(Steadei, Nom. ed. 2. 1: 245. 1840) appeared as a synonym of 

 Cactus communis. 



Melocactus brongniartii Lemaire (Cact. Aliq. Nov. 12. 1838), of unknown origin, has 

 never been definitely identified. Lemaire states that it is related to Melocactus communis. 



Fig. 235. Cactus lemairei. 



Fig. 236. Cactus broadwayi. 



Illustrations: Gerarde, Herball ed. 1 . 1013 ; ed. 2 and 3. 1 1 77, as Mclocarduus echinatus; 

 L. Obel. Kruydboeck 2: 27. (24?) 1581, as Echinomelocactus ; Abh. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 

 Miinchen 2 :pl. 2,f. io(?), as Echinocactus leucacanthus; Mus. Bot. Leide 3: pi. 14; pi. 18, A, as 

 M. communijormis; Mus. Bot. Leide 3: pi. S; pi. 10, E, as M. pusillus; Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 

 19 1 : pi. 16, f. 9: Abh. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. Miinchen 2: pi. 1, II. f. 3, as M. rubens; Nov.Comm. 

 Acad. Scient. 3: pi. 26, as M. rufispinus; Thomas, Zimmerkultur Kakteen 43, as M. brong- 

 nartii; Clusues, Exot. pi. 92; Verh. Ver. Beford. Gartenb. 3: pi. 15, as M. meonacanthus ; 

 (?) Mem. Accad. Sci. Torino 33: pi. 7, as Cactus lamarckii; Verh. Ver. Beford. Gartenb. 3: 

 pi. 11 ;Forster, Handb. Cact. ed. 2. 433. f. 48; Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 17: pi. 6; Watson, 

 Cact. Cult. 140. f. 54; ed. 3. f. 33; Bait. Cact. Journ. 1: pi. 30; Cycl. Amer. Hort. Bailey 

 2: f. 1389; Mollers Deutsche Gart. Zeit. 25: 477. f. 11, No. 1, 10; Schelle, Handb. Kakteenk. 

 206. f. 138; Verh. Kon. Akad. Wetensch. II. 5 3 : pi. 2, f. 3; The Garden 64: 337; Ann. Inst. 

 Roy. Hort. Fromont 2 : pi. 1, f. C; Garten-Zeitung 4: 182. f. 42, No. 15; Gartenwelt 7: 277; 



