502 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Opuntia continued. 



bricks under them, in imitation of artificial rockwork." 

 All the species mentioned require greenhouse treatment, 

 except where otherwise stated. Probably several others 

 would succeed in the open, in addition to those marked 

 hardy. 



O. andicola (Andine). Plant much-branched ; . 

 like, elongated, attenuated at aj 

 colour, at length woody ; are oh 



prickles three or four, sub-rigid, slender, and one or two long 

 ones, white. Andes of Chili. 



, 2iin. to 3in. in 

 long. Stems 



. high (said to attain a height of 20ft. or 30ft. at its 

 southern limits) ; tubercles green, spiny, compressed-cristate, 

 elevated, Jin. long ; spines very variable in number and size. 

 Mexico, &c. 



O. Aubert ( Auber's). Plant erect, large ; joints glaucescent, thick, 

 oblong-ovate, with repand margins ; areolae remote ; prickles 

 mostly four, white, angular, one or two larger than the rest. 

 Cuba. 



O. aurantiaca (orange). /. orange-yellow. Joints linear or 

 linear-lanceolate, divaricate, compressed at apex, terete at base, 

 marked with dark green spots around the areote ; areolse large 

 convex, white-tomentose ; spines unequal, the three longer ones 

 rigid, brown, divergent, the two or three shorter ones whit 

 h. 3ft Chili, 1824. (B. R. 1606.) 



uch-branched ; joints Cucumber- 

 apex, shining brownish-green in 

 jlse somewhat crowded, setose ; 

 d, slender, and one 



O. arborescens (arborescent).* fl. beautiful purple, 2 

 diameter ; stigmas eight Summer, fr. about lin. ] 

 about 5ft. high (said to attain a height of 20ft. or 30ft. at its 



white. 



FIG. 750. OPUNTIA BASII.ARIS. 



O. basilarls (base-branching). JL rose-purple, la*e. Summer. Jr. 

 sub-globose, deeply umbilicated. Stems low, branching only from 

 the base ; joints obovate, often retuse or fan-shaped ; areohe 

 very close, densely covered with short, brown bristles. Cali- 

 fornia, Arizona, Ac. See Fig. 750. 



FIG. 751. OPUKTIA BOLIVIANA. 



Opuntia rn nti tiued. 



O. Bigelovu (Bigelow's).* "Branches forming a dense head; 

 younger joints erect, adpressed, fragile, often shaken off by the 

 wind, and covering the soil around, taking root everywhere, or 

 sticking to the clothes of the passers-by, like burrs" (Engel- 

 mann). Joints 2in. to 6in. long, fresh light green, covered with 

 the small, filmost hemispherical tubercles, which are arranged 

 mostly in thirteen spirals, h. 10ft. to 12ft. Colorado. 



O. boliviana (Bolivian). Stem articulated, sub-erect ; joints 2in. 

 to 2iin. long, ovate-oblong, smooth, very pale green, becoming 

 yellowish with age ; tubercles round, youn-? ones greyish-yellow; 

 prickles Sin. to 4in. long, flexible, white, sub-pellucid, h. over 1ft. 

 Bolivia, See Fig. 751. 



FIG. 752. OPU 



O. brachyarthra (short-jointed), fl. small ; stigmas five. Plant 

 ascendent ; joints ovate or orbiculate, tumid, often sub-globose, 

 tubercled ; tubercles crowded ; prickles in groups of from three 

 to five. See Fig. 752. 



O. braziliensis (Brazilian).* JL bright lemon-yellow, lin. to liin. 

 in diameter ; petals imbricated, sub-patent, the outer ones short, 

 thick, and fleshy, the inner ones from iin. to lin. long. May and 

 June. fr. transparent-yellow, sub-globose, with dense fascicles 

 of chestnut-coloured bristles. Branches horizontal or declining, 

 spiny ; ultimate joints obovate or obovate-oblong. A. 10ft. to 30ft. 

 Brazil, 1816. (B. M. 3293.) 



O. candelabriformis (candelabrum-shaped). Plant sub-erect; 

 joints obovate or elliptic, glaucous-green ; areolse somewhat 

 crowded ; prickles four or five, white, and one very long one. 

 Mexico. 



O. cochinellifera (Cochineal-bearing). A synonym of Nopalea 

 coccinellifera. 



O. corrugata (wrinkled), fl. reddish-yellow. August Stem 

 articulated ; joints erect, cylindrical, green ; areolae crowded ; 

 prickles pale tomentose, the upper ones very minute and 

 setaceous, the lower ones six to eight, white, and elongated. 

 h. 2ft Chili, 1824. 



O. crinifera (hair-bearing). Plant sub-erect; joints ovate or 

 elongated, slender, greenish ; areolse somewhat crowded, white, 

 convex ; lower prickles three or four, slender, slightly rigid, red- 

 dish ; upper ones copious, white, long, silky. Brazil, 1846. 



O. cnrassavica (Curassoa). fl. yellow. June. Plant sub- 

 erect ; joints fragile, cylindrico-ventricose, compressed, dark 

 green, much divaricated; areolae crowded, white-tomentose. 

 slightly woolly ; prickles three to five, unequal, dark, eventually 

 becoming white, acutely pungent, h. 6ft. Curassoa, 1690. 

 There are several varieties of this species. 



O. cylindrica (cylindrical).* fl. scarlet, lin. in diameter, incon- 

 spicuous, several together just below the ends of the branches ; 

 petals short, erect, fr. pale yellowish-green, 2in. long, lin. 

 broad. 1. deciduous_, iin. long, cylindrical, acute. Stems several, 

 cylindrical, the main one 6ft. or more high, all thickly armed 

 with pale or white, fine, but not long, spines. Peru, 1799. 

 (B. M"330L) 



O. Dayisii (Davis').* fl. of a remarkable bronzy-greenish colour, 

 2in. in diameter. Stems tuberculate-terete, iin. in diameter ; 

 spines five or six in a tuft, about iin. long. New Mexico, 1883. 

 A small, shrubby species. (B. M. 6652.) 



O. decipiens (deceptive). Plant erect, branched, green ; branches 

 spreading, cylindrical, attenuated at base; tubercles few, some- 

 what spirally disposed; areolae small; central prickles yellow, 

 tunicated, spreading-deflexed, the rest (three or four) smaller, 

 somewhat radiating. Mexico. 



O. Dillenii (Dillenius 1 ). fl. yellow. September. Plant erect ; 

 joints obovate-rotundate, undulated, glaucous ; areolse clothed 

 with yellow, eventually white, tomentum ; prickles divaricate, 

 yellowish, three to five small ones, and one strong longer one. 

 h. 5ft. (B. B. 255, under name of Cactus DUlenii.) 



O. echinocarpa (spiny-fruited).* fl. pale greenish-yellow, about 

 liin. across. Summer, fr. depressed, deeply umbilicate, very 

 spiny. A low, much-branched, spreading speces, with ovate- 

 clavate joints densely covered with numerous spines, which are 

 loosely coated with a whitish, glistening sheath. Colorado, &c. 



O. Engelmannl (Engelmann's).* 

 centre. May and June. Plant large, 

 obovate. Chihuahua, 1854. Haidy. 



/. yellow, with a reddish 

 erect, 4ft. to 6ft. high ; joints 



