174 



CACTE/E. VI. OPUNTIA. 



lie allows that it is the plant upon which the cochineal has often 

 been sent to Europe, asserts that our Opuntia cochinillifera is 

 not the individual of the Mexican Nopaleries, which he makes 

 a new species under the name of O. Bonpldndii, and he quotes 

 under it with a mark of doubt the Cactus Tuna of Lin. At Rio 

 Janeiro, when that place was visited by the Chinese embassy 

 under Lord Macartney, there were considerable plantations of 

 Cactus Tuna, now Opuntia Tuna, for rearing the cochineal, 

 which had sometime previously been introduced to Brazil. In 

 St. Vincent the Rev. L. Guilding has a considerable nursery of 

 the Opuntia cochinillifera inhabited by thousands of the true 

 cochineal ; and he is in expectation of sending to the Society of 

 Arts a large quantity of the dried insects. From all that has 

 been said we think it may be inferred with safety that in Mexico 

 and Brazil the Opuntia luna or Bonpldndii is the favourite food 

 of the cochineal ; and that in the West Indian Islands, where 0. 

 Tuna is perhaps less frequent, the 0. cochinillifera is employed 

 by the natives, and answers the purpose sufficiently well. 



Like all the species of Opuntia, the plants propagate readily 

 by having the joints stuck into the ground, and the plants love 

 dry and barren spots. If cultivated for the purpose of rearing 

 the cochineal, it must be defended, at least in the rainy Island of 

 St. Vincent, from storms and winds, by sheds placed to wind- 

 ward. 



The cochineal insect, which feeds upon the kinds of Opuntia 

 just mentioned, is too well known to need a particular descrip- 

 tion here ; as are also its valuable properties in producing the 

 dye which bears its name, and carmine. It is the Coccus cacti 

 of Linn ECUS, a small insect of the order Hymenoptera, having a 

 general appearance not very dissimilar to that of the mealy-bug 

 of our gardens, and equally covered with a white powdery sub- 

 stance. The male is winged. It is originally a native of 

 Mexico, and was cultivated for its precious dye long before the 

 conquest of that country ; and these plantations, called Nopa- 

 leros, are most extensive in the Misteca and Oaxaca ; the latter 

 district alone has exported, according to Humboldt, upon the 

 average 32,000 arobas annually, estimated at 2,400,000 piastres, 

 above 500,000^. sterling. 



In Sloane's Jamaica, vol. 1. t. 9. a representation of a Mexican 

 Nopalery is given from a drawing made at Guaxaca, by an In- 

 dian. In these small plantations or enclosures they cultivated 

 either the fine sort (Grana fina of the Spaniards), or the com- 

 mon kind (Grana sylvestre), which differ by the first having a 

 finer quality and more powdery covering ; whilst the latter, less 

 valuable in its produce, has a cottony covering ; but whether 

 these two insects be specifically distinct has not yet been deter- 

 mined. The placing of the females, when big with young, is 

 called sowing. The proprietor of a Nopalery buys in April or 

 May the branches of joints of the Tunas de Castilla (Opuntia 

 Tuna), which are sold in the market of Oaxaca at about 3 franks 

 a hundred, loaded with young cochineals (semilla). These are 

 kept in cellars for 20 days, when they are exposed to the air, 

 suspended under a shed. So rapid then is the growth of the 

 insect, that by August or September the females are big with 

 young, and ready for sowing, which is done in small nests, made 

 of the fibrous parts of the foliage of a Tillandsia called Paxtle. 

 In four months from the time of sowing the harvest commences. 

 The insects are brushed off with a squirrel's or deer's tail by 

 women, who sit during this operation, for whole hours at one 

 Nopal plant ; so that were it not for the extreme cheapness of 

 labour in that country, Humboldt says, that the rearing of the 

 cochineal would prove an unprofitable employment. After 

 being gathered, the insects are killed by boiling water, or by ex- 

 posing them in heaps to the sun, or by means of the vapour baths 

 of the Mexicans (temazcalli) ; and when dry they are fit for ex- 

 portation. By the latter method, the powdery substance is pre- 



served, wliich increases the value of the insects in commerce. 

 Dr. Bancroft has estimated the annual consumption of cochineal 

 in Great Britain only at about 750 bags or 150,000 Ibs., worth 

 275.000Z. " a vast amount," as the authors of the introduction 

 to Entomology observe, " for so small a creature, and well cal- 

 culated to show us the absurdity of despising any animals, on 

 account of their minuteness." According to the same writers, 

 the only kind of cochineal that has been conveyed to the East 

 Indies is the sylvestre or wild cochineal from Brazil, and the Court 

 of Directors of the East India Company have offered a reward 

 of 6,OOOZ. to any person who should introduce the more valuable 

 sort. The insects were introduced to the royal gardens at Kew 

 in 1814 from Martinico, by M. Castleneau d'Auros, late super- 

 intendant of the botanic garden on that island. In 1820, the 

 fine cochineal was introduced to the Apothecaries' botanic gar- 

 den at Chelsea by W. Prinsep of Calcutta, from some of the 

 Nopaleries of Mexico. 



Cochineal-bearing Indian-fig. Fl. July, Sept. Clt. 1688. 

 Shrub 3 to 5 feet. 



32 O. FI'CUS-I'NDICA (Haw. syn. p. 191.) joints ovate-oblong, 

 obtuse at both ends ; prickles setaceous, length of the wool from 

 which they rise. Jj . D. S. Native of South America. Cactus 

 Ficus I'ndica, Lin. spec. 670. Willd. enum. suppl. 34. Joints 

 a foot long. Prickles all setaceous, and very short. Flowers 

 sulphur-coloured. Fruit large, edible, deep purple. This is 

 the most common kind of Indian- fig in Jamaica, and upon the 

 fruit of it a wild kind of cochineal feeds. The plant is to be 

 found in many parts of Asia, but has perhaps been transplanted 

 thither. 



Common Indian-Jig. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1731. Shrub 2 

 to 3 feet. 



33 O. PSEU'DO-TU'NA (Salm-Dyck, obs. bot. 1822. et in litt. 

 1827.) plant erect, branched, light green ; joints obovate, com- 

 pressed, large, thick ; fascicles of prickles distant ; prickles yel- 

 low, setaceous, collected into brush-like heaps : lower one of 

 each heap strong, and subulate. Jj . D. S. Native of South 

 America. Allied to 0. Ficus-Fndica, but more shining. This 

 species occurs often in gardens under the name of 0. Tuna. 



False-Tuna. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



34 O. TOMENTOSA (Salm-Dyck, obs. bot. 1822. et in litt. 

 1827.) plant erect, tomentose ; joints lanceolate, compressed, 

 thick ; prickles setaceous, white : lower 4 or 6 in each fascicle 

 elongated, unarmed. Tj . D. S. Native of South America. 

 Cactus tomentosus, Link. enum. 2. p. 24. Spreng. syst. 2. p. 

 497. Hairs of joints short, adpressed, and rather villous. 



Tomentose Indian-fig. Clt. 1820. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



35 O. LANCEOLA'TA (Haw. syn. 192.) plant erectish ; joints; 

 lanceolate ; spines uniform, very short. f? . D. S. Native ot 

 South America. Cactus lanceolatus, Haw. misc. p. 188. Leave-* j 

 larger in this species than any of its allies, generally they are! 

 more than 3 lines long. Flowers 4 inches in diameter, of a shin -I 

 ing yellow-colour. Stigmas 5, sulphur-coloured. 



Lanceolate-lobed Indian-fig. Fl. July. Clt. 1796. Shruhl 

 2 to 3 feet. 



36 O. TUBERCULA'TA (Willd. enum. suppl. p. 34. under Coc-l 

 tus,) joints ovate-oblong, attenuated at both ends ; tubercles spi-1 

 nose ; prickles setaceous, about equal in length to the wool from! 

 which they rise, fj . D. S. Native of tropical America. Haw .1 

 rev. p. 80. The rest unknown. 



Warted Indian-fig. Clt. 1818. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



37 O. INE'RMIS (D. C. prod. 3. p. 473.) plant strictly erect I 

 joints fleshy, ovate-elliptic ; spines uniform, very short, hair 1 

 formed, very numerous. Tj . D. S. Native of South America 

 Cactus Opuntia, D. C. pi. grass, no. 138. with a figure. CactuM 

 strictus, Haw. misc. 188. but not of Willd. O. stricta, Haw 1 

 syn. 191. Flowers yellow on both sides, spreading. 



