66 



21. FICOIDACE.E. 



fruit ; leaves dark-red, conical ; 

 spines rigid, white below, pale- 

 brown near tip, 2-5 cm. (|-2 in.) 

 long, usually 1 to each areole, 

 sometimes 2, or none ; flowers 

 large, sessile on the edge of the 

 terminal joints ; sepals and petals 

 in several rows, yellow, striped 

 with red on the back ; fruit pear- 

 shaped, with equidistant, spine- 

 less areoles, 6-7 cm. (about 2^ 

 in.) long, often proliferous, green, 

 usually suffused with red towaids 

 the summit, which has a large 

 round depression surrounded by 

 5-6 areoles; pulp whitish-green, 

 insipid ; seeds few. 



Hedges, fields, roadsides.- — 

 Nov. - May. ■ — Argentina and 

 Uruguay, where it is called 

 Tuna. 



2. O. vulg^aris, Mill. 

 Barhary Fig. Comparatively 

 low usually spineless peren- 

 nial, about 1 m. (3 ft.) high; 



joints llat, oboval ; leaves conical, purplish or pink: flowers 

 large, lemon-yelloAv, greenish on the back ; fruit obovoid or 

 pear.shaped, dark-red, 5-6 cm. (2-23 in.) long; with a large 

 depression at the summit; pulp dark-red, sweetish; seeds 

 numerous. 



Railway line and fields near Goolwa. — Nov. - April. — 

 Native of Mexico, carried home by the early Spanish ex- 

 plorers, and naturalised along the Mediterranean coast; 

 hence the name Baihunj Fig (Fiijuicr dc Baihaiic ). 



Family 21.— FICOIDACE/E. 



1. Mesembryantiiemum, L. 



(Greek mesenihria. midday, and anthus. flower, <in account 

 of the hour of opening.) 



Calyx 4-5 lobed ; petals numerous, linear, unequal, in 

 several rows; stamens numerous; styles several, equal in 

 number to the cells of the inferior ovary ; fruit a capsule, 

 surrounded by the persistant calyx and opening by valves 

 on the depressed summit. 



Plant covered with glistening warts. 



Flowers white; leaves alternate ... 



Flowers purple; leaves opposite ... 

 Plant without glistening warts. 



Stem prostrate; leaves long 



Stem erect; leaves short 



Opuntia monacantha. 



M. 

 M. 



cri/sfallinuiii 1 

 cordi folium 2 



M. acinacijorine 3 

 M. auraiitiacum 4 



