THE CACTACEAE. 



212. Opuntia quimilo Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 746. 1898. 



Much branched, about 4 meters high; joints large, elliptic or obovate, 5 dm. long by 2.5 dm. 

 broad, 2 to 3 cm. thick, grayish green; spines very long, usually i, sometimes 2 or 3 from an areole, 

 twisted, 7 to 14.5 cm. long; flowers red, 7 cm. broad; fruit pear-shaped to globular, 5 to 7 cm. long, 

 greenish yellow; seeds 8 mm. broad, 1.5 to 2 mm. thick, with broad, thick, white margins. 



Type locality: L,a Banda, Santiago del Estero, Argentina. 



Distribution: Northern Argentina. 



This plant is known to the natives as quimilo. 



Dr. Rose obtained a good photograph of it from Dr. J. A. Dominguez, and seed and a 

 photograph from Dr. Spegazzini. While the volume was going through the press a fine 

 specimen in fruit with the long spines so characteristic of this species was obtained by 



H. M. Curran at Quilino, Cordoba, 

 Argentina. Dr. Shafer's specimens 

 collected at Rio Piedras,show that the 

 trunk-areoles sometimes bear as many 

 as eight spines. 



FIG. 235. Joint of Opuntia quimilo. Xo-3. FIG. 236. Fruit of Opuntia quimilo. Xo-3. 



Figure 235 represents a joint obtained by Dr. Shafer at Rio Piedras, Salta, Argentina, 

 January 4, 1917 (No. 34); figure 236 represents the fruit from the same plant; figure 237 

 is from a photograph of a flowering joint of the plant, contributed by Dr. Spegazzini. 



The following may belong to this series : 

 OPUNTIA ITHYPETALA Griffiths, Bull. Torr. Club 43: 529. 1916. 



Tall, erect plant, 2 meters or more high; joints large, obovate, 26 to 45 cm. long, 14 to 19 cm. 

 broad, much contracted below, bright dark green, somewhat tuberculate at the areoles; subulate, 

 5 to 6 mm. long; areoles large, often i cm. in diameter, 4 to 5 cm. apart; spines white at least on 

 second year's growth, 3 to 5; central spine largest, porrect, 3 to 4 cm. long; flowers yellow, fading 

 to rose-purplish; petals erect, 3 cm. in diameter; style white; stigma-lobes 6, light green. 



Known only from cultivated plants received from the Berlin Botanical Garden. 



