AN ENCYCLOPADIA OF HORTICULTURE. 
503 
Opuntia continued. 
O. Ficus-Indica (Indian Fig).* fl. yellow. May. fr. red within, 
bristly, ovate, edible. J. subulate, bristly in the axils, without 
spines. Stem erect, spreading; joints oval and obovate, 1ft. long. 
h. Aft. Mexico, &c., 1731. Hardy. SYN. O. vulgaris. See Fig. 753. 
O. floccosa (woolly). Stem club-shaped at base, thick, shining 
green, crested, tubercled; tubercles fleshy, prominent; areolæ 
axillary, elongated, woolly. A. from Ain. to Hin. Bolivia. 
. fragilis (fragile). fl. small. fr. ovate, scarcely spiny. 
i, minute. Plant sub-decumbent; joints small, ovate, somewhat 
compressed, tumid or sub-globose, hardly tuberculate, shining 
green; tubercles somewhat crowded, large, white -tomentose ; 
prickles robust. North America, 1814. 
O. frutescens (shrubby). fl. greenish, small. fr. scarlet, ob- 
ovate, without tubercles. Plant shrubby, erect, with slightly 
28 branches; joints terete; spines almost solitary. Mexico, 
O. glaucophylla (milky-green-leaved). Plant erect; joints 
obovate, somewhat undulated, glaucous; prickles one or two, 
subulate, less than lin. long. Mexico. 
Fic. 753, BRANCH OF OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA, 
showing Fruits, 
O. grandis (large). A synonym of O. stenopetala. : 
O. Kleinize (Mrs. Klein's). Plant erect, branched, greyish-green ; 
3 branches erect, cylindrical, tuberculated ; fascicles usually spirally 
k disposed; areolæ velvety; prickles, one white, large, spreading- 
defiexed, the rest reddish-white, innumerable. South Mexico. 
O. leptocaulis (slender-stemmed). Plant erect, branched; 
branches cylindrical, erect, tuberculated; fascicles spirally dis- 
posed ; areole sub-tomentose ; prickles about three, setaceous, 
greenish, patent-defiexed, the rest setose, crowded, reddish. 
North Mexico, 1845, 
O. microdasys (small-thick).* Plant sub-erect, diffuse; joints 
obovate or lanceolate, green, thick at base; areole regularly 
clustered. South Mexico, 1845. : ee 
Se (Missonri).* f. light yellow. May to July. 
Jr. dry, prickly. 1 minute; axils armed with a tuft of straw- 
coloured bristles and five to ten slender, radiating spines, which 
are lin, to 2in. long. Plant prostrate; joints broadly obovate 
aio Pas in. to din. long, tuberculate. North America, 1814. 
Hardy. i 
O. monacantha (one-spined). Plant erect; joints large, elliptic 
or ovate-oblong, much compressed, glabrous, green; areolæ re- 
mote, with very short, greyish, bristly tomentum and a single, 
rigid, brown spine, yellow at apex. h. lft. Brazil, 1816. (B. R. 
1726, under name of Cactus Opuntia Tuna.) x 
O. multiflora (many-flowered).“ fl. yellow. Summer. 
erect ; branches large, ovate or elliptical, flattened ; spines clus- 
tered, numerous, unequal. See Fig. 754, 
0. (blackish). f. pink. August. Plant erect; joints 
large, ovate or lanceolate, green; areolæ remote, fulvous; prickles 
two or three, unequal, divergent, rigid, dark greenish. h. 3ft. 
South America, 1205. (B. M. 1557, under name of Cactus Tuna 
“ake ) 
Plant 
Opuntia continued. ; 
0. yt (papery-spined). Plant with sub-globose 
joints and long, papyraceous spines, Argentine Republic, 1872. 
O. Parmentieri (Parmentier’s). l, leaflets dark red, slender. 
Joints cucumber-like, pale green; areolæ spirally disposed, 
convex, with reddish-brown tomentum; lower spines two or 
three, white-stramineous. Paraguav. $ 
h | 
dig 
YA 
FIG. 754. FLOWERING BRANCH OF OPUNTIA MULTIFLORA. 
Pes-corvi (crow-foot). jl., yellow, large; sepals and petals 
eight to twelve, cuneate ; stigmas four. Summer. Stems diffuse, 
— joints — Zin. long, 1 = N flat- 
ned, spiny ; spines by pairs, unequal, elongate: . lft. to 2ft. 
South United Rates. 5 ai 
O. phæacantha (gay-spined). fl. yellow, numerous, around the 
summit of the joints; stigmas six. June. Stem erect; joints 
oblong ; spines yellow or brown painted, strong, unequal. A. 3ft. 
Bei, &c., 1811. (B. M. 2691, under name of Cactus poly- 
anthos. : 
Fie. 755, OPUNTIA PLATYACANTHA. 
Plant with a low-branching 
O. platyacantha (flat-spined). i 
stem, with spreading, 5 — tubereulated, shining 
brown branches; areolæ large, immersed, armed with sete and 
spines of different forms and sizes. See Fig. 755, 
(Peeppig’s). fi. pale yellow, 2in. in diameter, sessile 
O. Poeppigii 
or shortly-staiked, having an exceedingly short ovary, about pin. 
Jong. J. incurved, cylindrical. Branches leafy ; spines spreading, 
ee ae to žin. long. Chili, 1884. A dwarf bush. (R. € 
1129.) i x 
vernlenta (powdery). Plant erect, thick, cylindrical, 
e greyish-blue, powdery, with oblong tubercles; areolæ on 
the tops of the tubercles large, round, bristly, and with two 
rickles, one of which is very long and the other shorter. 
Tropical America. ee 
