OPUNTIA. 



61 



Type locality: In Lower California. 



I>istribntion: Lower California. 



This is one of the commonest opuntias in southern Lower California and was usually 

 seen by Dr. Rose at every locality visited south of Magdalena Bay on the west coast and on 

 the east coast as far north as Muleje. It is undoubtedly the plant referred to 0. prolifera by 

 Mr. Brandegee, but it differs in habit and armament from that species ; the fruit of O. pro- 

 lifera is nearly or quite devoid of seeds, while this species often has numerous small ones. 

 In this species, as in a few other opuntias, the fruits are quite proliferous, hanging on for a 

 number of years and usually remaining green. They are, however, easily detached, and 

 on falling to the ground, readily 

 take root and start new colonies. 

 Our illustration shows some of 

 the fruits which have already 

 rooted and have developed young 

 joints. 



The plant here described is 

 the true "cholla" of the people 

 of Lower California, and is the 

 plant cultivated under that name 

 by A. Berger at La Mortola from 

 a cutting of Weber's type speci- 

 men, and by the late Mr. Darrah 

 at Manchester, England. 



Illustrations: Contr. U. S. 

 Nat. Herb. 16: pi. 128, A; Kar- 

 sten and Schenk, Vegetations- 

 bilder 13 : pi. 17, B. 



Figure 73 is from a photo- 

 graph of a plant collected by Dr. 

 Rose at Cape San Lucas; figure 

 74 represents a joint of the same 

 plant; figures 75 and 76 repre- 

 sent its proliferous fruits devel- 

 oping new joints. 



23. Opuntia calmalliana Coulter, 

 Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 453. 

 1896. 



"Habit and height unknown; 

 joints cylindrical, i to 2 cm. in 

 diameter, glaucous, with linear- 

 oblong crested (mostly distinct) tubercles 20 to 25 mm. long; pulvini densely covered with yellow- 

 ish wool, and with a penicillate tuft of whitish bristles at upper edge; spines usually 4, the upper 

 one stout and porrect, reddish with yellowish tip (as are all the spines), 2 to 2.5 cm. long (occa- 

 sionally i to 2 short upper ones added), the usually 3 (sometimes 4) lower ones more slender and 

 sharply deflexed, i to 1.5 cm. long (occasionally one of them longer); flowers apparently purple; 

 ovary covered with very prominent woolly pulvini which are more or less bristly and spiny, but 

 ripening into a smooth juicy obovate fruit; seeds discoid and beaked, irregularly angular, with 

 broad commissure, about 4 mm. broad." (Coulter, /. c.) 



Type locality: Calmalli, Lower California. 



Distribution: Lower California. 



Type in the Brandegee Herbarium, University of California. 



FIG. 73. Opuntiu cliollu. 



