OPUNTIA. 



ed. 2. f. 130; Knippel, Kakteen 2: pi. 28, these three as Opuntia polyantha; Curtis's Bot. Mag. 

 53: pi. 2691, as Caclus polyanthos; De Candolle, PI. Succ. Hist. 2: pi. 138^, as Cactus opuntia 

 polyanthos; Descourtilz, Fl. Med. Antil. pi. 513, as Cactus opuntia. 



Figure 141 is from a photograph of a plant collected by William Harris, near Kingston, 

 Jamaica, in 1913; figure 142 represents a joint of the same plant. 



102a. Opuntia pennellii sp. nov. (See Appendix, p. 219.) 



103. Opuntia antillana Britton and Rose, Brooklyn Bot. Card. Mem. 1 : 74. 1918. 



Growing in dense clumps, often i meter broad, more or less prostrate; joints usually obovate, 

 7 to 20 cm. long, narrow and nearly terete at base; terminal joints easily breaking off; leaves conic- 

 subulate, about 2 mm. long; areoles large, 2 to 3 cm. apart, containing soft brown wool; spines stout, 

 terete, 3 to 6 at an areole, unequal, i to 6 cm. long, yellow but becoming gray to nearly white in age; 

 glochids numerous, yellow; flowers 5 to 7 cm. long; petals broad, obtuse, yellow, turning reddish in 

 age ; fruit reddish purple, 4 cm. long. 



FIG. 143. Opuntia antillana forming thickets. 



Type locality: Near Basse Terre, St. Christopher, Rose, Fitch and Russell, No. 3230. 

 February 2, 1913. 



Distribution: St. Christopher, St. Croix, Tortola, 

 St. Thomas, Porto Rico, and Hispaniola. 



This species is one of the most widely distributed 

 in the West Indies and, on some of the islands on which 

 it occurs, generally the most abundant. This is partly 

 due to the fact that the terminal joints are easily de- 

 tached and may thus be widely scattered. 



The question has frequently been raised in our 

 minds whether this species may not be of hybrid origin. 

 It has some resemblance to O. dillenii, but has much 

 smaller joints and these very fragile. What the other 

 parent would be is not so clear. The fragile joints 

 would suggest 0. triacantha or 0. repens, but otherwise 

 there is no close alliance with either of these. Owing 

 to the fact that it is more common than any of these 

 species, and is often not associated with any of them, we believe it to be distinct. In the 



Fig. 144. Opuntia antillana. Xo.33. 



