WOOTON AND STANDLEY FLORA OF NEW MEXICO. 443 



11. Opuntia arborescens Engelm. in Wisliz. Mem. North. Mex. 90. 1848. 



Cane cactus. 



Type locality: Northern New Mexico. 



Range: Colorado to Arizona and western Texas, southward into Mexico. 



New Mexico: Near El Rito; Organ Mountains; Mangas Springs; Logan; San 

 Rafael; Raton; Rincon; Cubero; Santa Fe; Socorro; Fairview; Queen; Sierra Grande. 

 Plains and hills, in the Lower and Upper Sonoran zones. 



This is the common species found almost throughout the State on the mesas and in 

 the foothills of the mountains. It often stands 3 meters high or more. The stems are 

 used to some extent for the manufacture of canes, the reticulated woody part of the 

 stem giving them a peculiar appearance. A number of names are applied to the 

 plant besides the one given above. "Candelabrum cactus" is used, " tree cactus" is 

 fairly common in southern New Mexico, and "velas de coyote" (coyote candles) is 

 often used by the Mexicans. It is sometimes utilized as stock feed, though rarely. 



A low form, less than 2 meters high, occurs on the mesas of southern New Mexico 

 near the Agricultural College, which may be different from the more common form, 

 but it has not yet been separated. 



12. Opuntia spinosior (Engelm. & Bigel.) Tourney, Bot. Gaz. 25: 119. 1898. 

 Opuntia whipplei spinosior Engelm. & Bigel. Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 307. 1856. 

 Type locality: "South of the Gila," Arizona. 



Range: Western New Mexico to Arizona and Sonora. 



New Mexico: Hermanas; Silver City; Deming; Steins Pass; White Water. 

 Upper Sonoran Zone. 



The species is easily confused with the preceding if one has only the descriptions to 

 work with. Professor Toumey confused them in one of his earlier publications, but 

 later corrected his mistake and pointed out very clearly the mistake made by Engel- 

 mann and Bigelow in associating the plant with Opuntia whipplei. 



Opuntia spinosior deserves its name. It is more spiny than most of our Cylindro- 

 puntiae; though its spines are short they are numerous and close together. The 

 peculiar pinkish tinge given the stem by the color of the spines and sheaths is easily 

 recognized when once seen and is very characteristic. This species is known in New 

 Mexico only from the southwestern part of the State, where it is about the size of 

 0. arborescens. In Arizona it is frequently larger. 



13. Opuntia hystricina Engelm. Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 299. 1856. 



Type locality: "West of the Bio Grande, to the San Francisco Mountains," New 

 Mexico and Arizona. 



Range: Western New Mexico to Arizona and California. 



New Mexico: Aztec (Baker 481). 



The specimens upon which the species was founded were collected "at the Colorado 

 Chiquitoand on the San Francisco mountains," both of the localities being in Arizona. 

 Doctor Coulter does not report any New Mexican material and we have seen only one 

 doubtful specimen. It is reported here also on the authority of the first collector, 

 Doctor Bigelow. The original description says nothing about the flower, but Doctor 

 Coulter says it is yellow or purple, a statement we are much inclined to doubt. ( <>1- 

 lectors should look for the species in the region between Albuquerque and Zuni, 

 keeping in mind its strong resemblance to Opuntia polyaamtha, from which it differs 

 in the longer and more numerous spines. 



14. Opuntia sphaerocarpa Engelm. & Bigel. Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 300. 1856. 

 Typii locality: Mountains mar Albuquerque, Now Mexico. Type COlfa ted by 



Bigelow. 



Range: Known only from the Sandia Mountains, New Mexico. 



The species suggests some forms of 0. polyaeantha, but seems abundantly distinct. 



