59 Cacti.— Orcutt. 



OPUNTIA WHIPPLEI E. & B. 



Opuntia tetracantha Tourney. 



§v ylindropuntia. "An irregularly 



branching- shrub 6-15 dm high; primary 

 branches erect or ascending from a stout 

 woody trunk 5-8 cm m diameter, and 

 bearing numerous short, lateral branch- 

 es at irregular intervals; ultimate branch- 

 es 12-15 mm in diameter; joints cylindri- 

 cal, 25-30 cm long, with a reticulated 

 woody skeleton; tubercles at first promi- 

 nent, 16-22 mm long, but on old stems 

 more or less inconspicuous; pulvini spar- 

 ingly covered with wool and bearing a 

 small crescent-shaped tuft of light brown 

 bristles at the upper margin; spines usu- 

 ally 4, stout, loosely sheathed, straw- 

 coiored, strongly dellexed, flattened, 2- 

 3.5 cm long, occasionally i or 2 smaller 

 ones, not increasing in size and number 

 after first season's growth; glands con- 

 spicuous, a half dozen ^■r more between 

 the spines and bristles; flowers greenish 

 purpe, 1.5-2 cm broad; fruit ovate to 

 subglobose, narrowly but deeply umbili- 

 cate, 2-25 cm long, juicy, scarlet, usual- 

 ly in.-arly smooth, but sometimes some 

 of the pulvini bearing 1-3 strong deflex- 

 ed spines; seeds irregular, 3-5 mm in 

 diameter, commissure broad, with con- 

 spicuous spongy appearance." — Tourney 

 Garden and Forest 9: 432 (28 N 1896). 



"An interesting species of Cylindro- 

 punda grows in considerable abundance 

 about 5 miles east of Tucson, but, so far 

 as known, only in this one locality. It 

 seems to be nearest related to Opuntia 

 Thurberi E., but differs from that plant, 

 so far as one can judge from the incom- 

 plete description and examination of 

 type material in the Engelmann herba- 

 rium, in its longer more strongly de- 

 flexed spines, smaller and different-col- 

 ored flowers, etc It may be known 

 from all related species by its bright 

 scarlet fruit, 4 strongly deflexed spines 

 and peculiar cork-like margin to the 

 seeds. This plane and O. leptocaulis 

 are the only Opuntias with which I am 

 familiar tliat produce small lateral bran- 

 ches no larger than the fully developed 

 fruits, the function of which seems to be 

 to drop to the ground and deve'op into 

 new plants. The fruit matures in Dec, 

 but remains attached to the plant until 

 the following May. It has an agreable 

 acid flavor and its bright color makes it 

 very conspicuous against the green 

 stems." — Tourney I.e. 



60 



This is probably O Stanlyi, of which 

 the following description is all that is 

 known:— 'Opuntia? Oct. 22, 1846. Abun- 

 dant on the Del Norte and Gila. A re- 

 markable plant, apparently more like a 

 Mamillaria than like an Opuntia. The 

 fruit is also represented without areolae 

 or tubercles, exactly like the smooth 

 fruit of a Mamillaria; but this may be an 

 oversight of the artist. The habit of the 

 plant suggests the belief that it is an 

 Opuntia of the section Cvlindracese. 

 Joints or branches ascending, cylindri- 

 cal, tuberculated, 4-6 inches long, i-ii^ 

 incl»es in diameter; tubercles very prom- 

 inent, with about 8 long (1-13-2 inches) 

 straight spines; fruit obovate, urabilicate, 

 scarlet, towards the top of the branches, 

 about 9 lines long and 6 in diameter. It 

 is a distinct species, which I am gratified 

 to dedicate to the skilful artist who has 

 drawn all these figures,— Mr. J. M. Stan- 

 ly." — E in Emory r 158 f 9. 



Subg-enus PLATOPUNTIA E.— "Joints 

 compressed; rhaphe forming a prominent 

 bony marg-in around the seed; embryo 

 completing a little more than one circle 

 around the scanty albumen; cotyledons 

 contrary to the sides of the seed."— B. 



OPUNTIA ANGUSTATA E. & B. 

 OPUNTIA ARENARIA Engelm. 

 OPUNTIA AURANTIACA Gi 1. 

 OPUNTA BASILARIS tngelm. 

 Variety RAMOSA Parish. 



opuntia beckeriana ks. 

 opunt:a camanchica e-b. 



OPUNTIA CANDBLABRAFORMIS 



Mart. 

 OPUNTIA CHLOROTICA Engelm, 

 OPUNTIA CRASSA Haw. 

 OPUiVTIA CRINIPRRA Pf. 

 OPINTIA DEiCUMBENS S. 

 OPUNTIA DULCIS Engelm. 

 OPUNTIA ENGELMANNI Slm-Dyck. 

 OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA Mill. 

 OPUNTIA FILIPENDULA E. 

 OPUNTIA FOLIOSA S. 

 OPUNTIA FULVISPINA Slm-Dyck. 

 OPUNTIA FT^SCOATRA B-. 

 OPl NTtA GALAPAGEIA Hensl. 

 OPT^NIIA GLAUCESCENS S. 

 OPUNTIA GLAUCOPHYLLA WendL 

 OPUNTIA GRANDIS Hort. 

 OPUNTIA HYSTRICINA E-B. 

 OPUNTIA HYPTIACANTHA Web. 

 OPUN'i lA INAMOENA KS. 

 OPUNTIA INERMIS P DC. 

 OPUN'l lA LANCBOLATA Haw. 

 OPUNTTA UARRBYI Weber. 



"Plant only 9-12 dm high, with large or- 

 bicular glaucous joints; fruit 'as large as 

 a goose egg', juicy, pulpy, and with pur- 

 ple pulp; seeds small 'much liks those of 

 O. ficus indica'. Type unknown. A Mex- 

 ican species, found by Dr. Weber about 

 Queretnro, and pronounced by him tihe 

 most delicious of all the fruits he had 

 tasted. Known as 'camuessa'.— Coulter, 

 Cont Na hb 3:423. 



