524 GRIFFITHS: ADDITIONAL SPECIES OF OPUNTIA 
darker colored spines; the joints commonly about 4 X 9 cm. and 
the spines in part brown, especially on apex of joints. 
Opuntia cucumiformis sp. nov. 
A low, branched, cylindrical-oval-jointed plant, 18 cm. high 
and 35-50 cm. in diameter; at first yellowish green, turning gray; 
joints 10 cm. long, 3.5 cm. in diameter, broadly pointed to rounded 
above, cylindrical, tubercular, raised at areoles, the low, rounded 
ridge extending downward 1.5-2 cm.; areoles obovate, 2.5 mm. 
long, gray, rather sunken, 1.5-2 cm. apart, only upper ones 
armed; leaves conical, ascending, 5 mm. long, slightly flattened 
on inside; spicules yellowish, at first not visible but at one year of 
age filling entire areole, which becomes subcircular, the spicules 
developing in successive lengthening zones from center of pulvinus; 
spines yellowish, translucent, bone-like, 1-2.5 cm. long, porrect, 
diverging but slightly, one to five in upper areoles only, not 
sheathed; flowers deep yellow, lighter within, having faint tinge 
of red in upper edges, about two rows of petals opening to 4 cm. 
in diameter; filaments white, style white, stigma white, variable, 
six-parted, small; bud distinctly reddish tinged at apex which is 
bluntly pointed and subtended by spicules, 3-5 mm. long, from 
the marginal areoles of the ovary; fruit oval to obovate, about 
16 by 38 mm., deeply pitted at apex with small cavity about 4 by 
8 mm. containing numerous small, atrophied ovules, its areoles 
small and distant below but closer above, bearing around top of 
ovary one or two yellowish spines 12-15 mm. long, and a small 
tuft of spicules 4-5 mm. long. 
This species has been received from European collections as 
Opuntia ciribe Engelm., a native of the peninsula of Lower 
California, but it has little relation to that species and in all proba- 
bility is native to the Cordillera region of South America. Several 
plants of it have been grown to maturity, but in no case have the 
fruits, which are produced in considerable abundance, matured 
seeds. The pulp cavity is always empty and the fruit remains 
attached to the plants indefinitely. 
Opuntia calantha sp. nov. 
A low, creeping, prostrate species, 15 cm. high and a meter in 
spread; joints obovate, sub-pointed above and below, inequi- 
lateral, about 4 X 11 cm., tuberculate-wrinkled, mostly deep 
green; areole small, 1-1.5 mm. long, obovate, at first tawny, 
turning gray; leaves small, subulate, cuspidate, red, 1 mm. long; 
