90 GRIFFITHS: NEW SPECIES OF OPUNTIA 
long and often ten to twelve in number, yellow or often with 
brownish zone toward the apex. 
This is a common, conspicuous species in the coastal region of 
California and is likely to be confused on the one hand with 0. 
occidentalis Engelm. & Bigel., which has similar joints but is quite 
a different plant growing farther inland, and on the other hand 
with O. littoralis (Engelm.) B. & R., which has more subcircular 
joints and more yellowish translucent spines. The species is very 
interesting inasmuch as it often has many joints or portions of 
joints practically destitute of spines, while neighboring areoles are 
normally spiny. The plant has been in cultivation with me since 
1904. The spineless characteristic of a portion of the plant body 
is exceedingly interesting and it was thought for a time that it 
might prove of economic value, but vegetative propagation made 
every year or two since that time has failed to produce any marked 
change in the degree of spinelessness which the plant bears in 
nature. In four generations grown vegetatively from single joint 
cuttings no increase in spineless area was observable at either San 
Antonio or Brownsville. 
Several collections have been made of the species between 
Santa Barbara and Tija Juana but my inventory number 10353 
is designated as the type. It was collected at San Pedro, Cali- 
fornia, September 22, 1911, and is a plant showing very little of 
the spineless variation. 
» Opuntia pyrocarpa sp. nov. 
An ascending-spreading, shrubby species 60 cm. high and 
having a spread of 2 m. or more when full grown, the main branches _ 
commonly resting on their edges at base and ascending at their 
extremities; joints large, nearly as broad as long, about 22 X 25 
em. but contracted below into a very short but mostly evident 
stipitate base, medium green with considerable bloom; areoles 
long, obovate, not raised after the first season, about 6 mm. in 
length, brown, enlarging to subcircular in age; spicules brow?, 
in a Compact tuft 4 mm. long occupying the upper two-thirds of 
the areole and filling it in age; spines’ porrect, divergent, but 
mostly sloping down in age, one to three, mostly one or tw, 
yellowish distally and gradually darkening to rather bright, light- 
brown proximally, the lower one-third of the joint unarmed, 
flattened, twisted, 3-4 cm. long; flowers 8 cm. in diameter; 
