GRIFFITHS: NEW SPECIES OF OPUNTIA 87 
which becomes more prominent later, the whole turning light 
orange-red as day advances; fruit a dull, light yellowish-red, rind 
greenish, pulp colorless, areoles small, 1.5 mm. in diameter, gray- 
tawny, spicules yellow, protruding from wool 1-2 mm.; fugacious 
spines 5~8 mm. long and two to six in number with a distinct 
tendency to whitening at complete maturity, and rarely accom- 
panied by an occasional true white spine. 
This belongs to the phaeacantha group and differs from pre- 
viously described species in shape of joints, color of, as well as 
appendages, of the joints, and nature of flower, fruit and seed. 
The species was collected near Zuni, New Mexico, August 31, 
1911, and the type bears my collection number 10345. It grows 
commonly in the open sage brush areas of the region, especially 
eastward and northward, and is probably the most common 
species of the region. The description applies to one form of the 
species, the other forms having spines decidedly brown, and the 
whole plant body, as well as the fruit, darker colored. The 
description is drawn in the main from plants propagated vegeta- 
tively at Chico, California, under field conditions, although it was 
also grown for a time in a sash house and in field at San Antonio, 
Texas. 
* Opuntia flexospina sp. nov. 
An erect to ascending bushy species, 50-100 cm. high and 
having a spread of about 2 m. when fully grown; joints broadly 
obovate, about 15-16 X 20-22 cm., yellowish green with little 
or no bloom, raised at areoles, smooth; areoles large, prominent, 
broadly obovate, 5~6 mm. long on edges of joints, slightly smaller 
on sides, enlarging in size to subcircular, and often 8-10 mm. in 
diameter, dark brown; spicules yellow with some brown mottling, 
scattered throughout the areole, but more numerous above and 
on edges of areole, giving general impression of being scattered, 
divergent, 5~7 mm. long, increasing in age to 10 mm. in length and 
filling entire areole; spines at first porrect but soon bent down- 
ward parallel with sides of joint, and commonly tightly recurved 
on edges, one or two, mostly one on sides and two or three on 
edges at one year of age, increasing in numbers in age to six to 
ten, and all sloping down to tightly recurved, 3.5 cm. long at 
one year old but becoming 5 cm. in age, yellow, with or without 
brighter brown bases, more or less flattened; flowers deep yellow 
with blushes of red, filaments greenish below and tinged with red 
above, style red below and fading upward, stigma dark green, 
eight- to ten-parted, bud pointed, dull, light reddish, with touches 
