NAT. ORDER 

 Cactete. 



OPUNTIA BRASILIENSIS. BRAZILIAN PRICKL Y-PEAR. 



Class XI. IcosANDRiA. Older I. Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Sepals, numerous. Stamens, numerous, shorter tlian 

 tlie petals. Sti/lc, cylindrical. Stigmas, many. 



Spe. Char. Berry, ovate. Petals, conivant. Flowers, red. Joints, 

 obovate. 



The peculiar habit and mode of growth at once distinguish this 

 species. It rises with a perfectly straiglit, erect, slender, but fiiin 

 and stiff, round stem, to a height of from ten to twenty, or even thirty 

 feet, very gradually tapering to a point from a diameter of two to 

 six inches at the base, and furnished all the way up with short, 

 mostly horizontal or declining branches, spreading round on all sides, 

 and gradually becoming shorter upwards ; the whole ^:>/a?i^ resembles 

 a straight taper ; pole, artificially dressed up with branches ; main 

 stem perfectly round, continuous and straight tiiroughout ; branches 

 horizontal, or declining, short ; the ultimate />/a/s are obovate, and 

 resemble leaves in appearance and thickness, more than in any other 

 described species of Opuntia ; being only about twice as thick as 

 those of Cereus phyllanthus, or phyllanthoides, but stiffer ; the whole 

 plant is a bright green inclining to yellow, especially in young or 

 sickly plants ; the lower part of the stem only is brownish ash-color- 

 ed; the flowers open in long succession, being abundantly produced 

 all over the plant from the prominent parts of the edges of the ter- 

 minal joints ; they are bright lemon-yellow, middle-sized ; when ex- 

 panded, from an inch to an inch and-a-half in diameter ; and without 

 Vol sv.— isa 



