1150 



OPUNTIA 



OPUNTIA 



tionately slender branches: stems about three-fifths of 

 an inch in diaui., with rouj^h, fissured or cracked, gray- 

 ish brown or lead-colored bark, the terminal joints pen- 

 cil-like, 3-10 in. long and %-% in. wide: areolae on 

 young growth with sparse white wool and few bristles, 

 on older growth the bristles are very numerous and 

 somewhat spine-like; spines 3-5, spreading, about H in. 

 long, grayish: tts. 1 in. wide, red: fr. pyriform, 1-lM in. 

 long, scarlet-proliferous, rarely fertile. Brazil. 



37. Dirwinii, Hemsl. A small, numerously jointed, 

 prostrate, ramifying plant a few inches high: joints 

 globose to broadly obovate, 1% in. in greatest diara., 

 olive-green : areolee with yellowish wool and few bristles ; 

 spines rigid, lK-2 in. long, the lower ones shorter and 

 darker: fls. only on top of terminal joints, 1-lK in. wide, 

 yellow: ovai'ies as large as the joints. Southern S. 

 America. 



38. diademitta, Lera. (O. papyracdntha, Phil.). A 

 low, moderately branched, spreading plant, rarely more 

 than i in. high and forming dense patches several feet 

 in diam. : joints 1-lK in. long and nearly as thick, glo- 

 bose to broadly clavate, usually growing several in suc- 

 cession, one above the other, young growth bright green, 

 soon becoming grayish: areolae with abundant white 

 wool and brownish black bristles; spines 1-2, papery, 

 flexible, white or brownish with darker tips, one-fifth (?) 

 in. long and half as wide: fls. rather small, pale yellow. 

 Argentine Republic. 



.39. pulch^lla, Engelm. A small, spreading, numerously 

 branched plant, seldom more than G in. high: joints as- 

 cending, 2% in. long and >2 in. thick, obovate to clavate: 

 areolae crowded, with white wool, and yellowish bristles 

 which become more numerous and larger with age; 

 spines 10-15, of variable length, the central one flattened, 

 flexible, somewhat papery, 1 in. long: fls. from the top 

 of the joints, purplish to rose-red, I-IV2 in. wide: fr. 

 broadly clavate, 1 in. long, with long, hair-like, flexible 

 white spines, dry. Nev , Ariz. 



40. clav&ta, Engelm. A low, spreading plant, 4-G in. 

 high, forming dense mats of ascending joints 4-5 ft. in 

 diam. : joints 1-3 in. long and 1 in. thick, armed with nu- 

 merous short, flat spines: areolie with white wool and 

 rigid, white bristles; exterior spines G-14, white, ^t;-/4 in. 

 long, interior 4-7, larger, flattened, scabrous and /^-IM 

 in. long, 1 of the central spines usually very broad : fls. 

 yellow, 1% in. wide; fr. long-clavate, yellowish, dry, 

 1)4-1% in. long, armed with many white radiating 

 bristles. Nev., New Mex. 



41. GrElhamii, Engelm. A low, spreading plant 4-8 in. 

 high, with thick, fusiform roots: joints 2-3 in. long and 

 % in. thick, armed with long, dark spines, bright green: 

 areolae with white wool and numerous long, yellowish 

 brown, rigid bristles which become very conspicuous on 

 old joints; exterior spines 4-8,/^ in. long, interior 4-7, 

 more rigid and 'longer (lJ^-2 in.), reddish to ashy 

 brown: fls. yellow, lJ^-2 in. wide: fr. ellipsoidal, lH-1 54 

 in. long and half as wide, armed with many large, radi- 

 ating spine-like bristles. New Mex., Tex. 



42. Schdttii, Engelm. A wide-spreading, prostrate 

 plant, 4-6 in. high, with numerous short, curved branches: 

 joints short-clavate, rarely more than 2 in. long and 

 armed with numerous dark-colored spines : areolie with 

 white wool and very few bristles; exterior spines 6-10, 

 very variable, }4 in. long; interior usually 4, flattened 

 or irregular, lH-2 in. long, brownish red: fls. greenish 

 yellow to reddish, 1% in. wide: fr. short-clavate, the 

 numerous areolaa covered with white wool and many 

 short bristles. Texas, Mexico. 



43. £moTyi, Engelm. A prostrate and spreading plant 

 with comparatively large, long-clavate, curved joints 

 and reaching a height of 8-12 in.: joints 4-7 in. long 

 and 1-1 K in. thick, with large, elongated tubercles: 

 areolae mmoto, with white wnnf :>nd a U'w long (K in.) 

 yellow I. list), s: s|,iiii-i nuni.rous, cxtrri.ir 10-20, Kin. 

 or less l(.ii^', v.Tv l.ull.oiis ;it )ias.-; inti-rii.r 5-10, brown- 

 ish to ri-ddisli l>lai'k, niciri' or li'^-s Hattened and some- 

 times 3 in. long: fls. yellow, reddish within, lK-2 in. 

 wide: fr. ellipsoidal, yellow, 2-2H in. long and 1 in. 

 wide, armed with numerous bristles and spines. South- 

 western U. S.. northern Mex. 



44. invfcta, Brand. A numerously branched, spread- 

 ing plant, 10-14 in, high, bluish green and armed with 

 many rigid, erect spines: joints 4-6 in. long and 2-2% 

 in. thick, nearly cylindrical: areolae with whitish wool 

 and yellowish red bristles; spines 15-25, exterior 6-12, 

 K in. or less long ; interior 10-15, very strong and 

 rigid, 1-2 in. long, more or less flattened : fls. yellow, 

 \%i-2 in. wide: fr. broadly obovate, dry, armed with 

 numerous reddish spines and bristles. Lower Calif. 



45. Dilvisii, Engelm. and Bigel. A procumbent, spread- 

 ing shrub, with firm, woody skeleton, 1-2 ft. high : 

 joints 4-7 in. long and Ys-U, in. thicli : areola with 

 short, white wool and numerous straw-colored bristles; 

 spines usually 8-13, exterior % in. or less long; interior 

 4-7, triangular, brownish, with lighter tips, %-lH in. 

 long, very loose-sheathed : fls. greenish yellow, 2-2K 

 in. wide : fr. clavate, 1 in. or more long, often sterile, 

 spiny. Tex. to Calif. 



46. acanthoc4rpa, Engelm. and Bigel. An arborescent, 

 erect plant, 4-S ft. high, with dense reticulate-tubular 

 skeleton and ascending, spreading branches : joints 

 usually 4-10 in. long, sometimes 20, and %-l in. in 

 diam. : areolae with short, white wool and scanty bright 

 yellow bristles; spines very variable in length and 

 numbers on different plants, usually 8-25, 1% in. or less 

 long, with loose straw-colored or brownish sheaths: 

 fls. greenish yellow, with reddish centers, conspicuous 

 for stamens with stout red filaments, \'%-l% in. wide: 

 fr. subglobose to pyriform, 1 in. in diam. and usually 

 armed with many long, stiff spines. Ariz, and Calif.— 

 A factory has been established at Tempe, Ariz., where 

 the wood of this species is made into light furniture, 

 picture frames, etc. 



47. eohinocirpa, Engelm. and Bigel. A low, spreading 

 shrub, with rrtirulate woody skeleton, rarely exceeding 

 \M ft. in lii-i^'lit: joints l%-3 in. long, rarely 4-0 in., 

 54 in. thick, sumewhat clavate: areolae with short white 

 wool and a few coarse, straw-colored bristles : spines 

 very variable in length and number, exterior 8-16, IH 

 in. or less long; interior usually 4 forming a cross, 1-1 K 

 in. long, with loose white or straw-colored sheaths : 

 fls. greenish yellow, \%-\% in. wide: fr. depressed- 

 globose or hemispherical and armed with many long 

 (\-\yi in.) spines on the upper areolce. Utah, Ariz, and 

 Calif. — The fruit of this species, like most others with 

 dry fruit, ripens in the early summer, while most spe- 

 cies with fleshy fruit do not mature them until fall or 

 the following spring. 



48. Bemardlna, Engelm. A slender, branched, upright 

 shrub, 3-5 ft. liigli, usually with several long, straight 

 stems arising from the base: joints 4-24 in. long and 

 54 in. thick, armed with numerous short spines : areola* 

 with grayish white wool and numerous yellow bristles ; 

 spines yellow or brownish, 8-14, usually with inconspic- 

 uous sheaths, y^ in. or less long ; fls. greenish yellow, 

 1-lX in. wide: fr. obovate, 1 in. long, armed with nu- 

 merous rather short spines. S. Calif. 



49. serpentina, Engelm. A prostrate, rarely ascending, 

 sparingly branched shrub, a few inches to 2 ft. in 

 height: joints much elongated, 6-20 in. long and J4-1 in. 

 thick : areolfB with short, white wool and whitish bris- 

 tles : spines comparatively short, usually -9, sometimes 

 15 or more, yellowish or rusty, % in. or less long* fls. 

 greenish yellow, 1-lK in. wide: fr. hemispherical, >-o-?4 

 in. in disim., armed with numerous short spines and 

 long woolly hairs. S. Calif., Lower Calif. 



50. proliSera, Engelm. An arborescent, thick-stemmed 

 plant, 3-8 ft. high, with numerous horizontal, spread- 

 ing branches, the erect trunk sometimes 8 in. in diam.: 

 joints short-cylindrical, rounded at the ends, very succu- 

 lent, tumid and readily detached, bright green, 2-6 in. 

 long and \%-2 in. thick: areolae with white wool and 

 on older joints with numerous straw-colored bristles; 

 spines variable, usually 6-10, with conspicuous, loose, 

 yellowish or rusty sheaths and much-barbed, usually 

 about 1 in. long: fls. 154-lK in. wide, greenish red: fr. 

 subglobose, %-1H in. in diam., light green, with few 

 small spines and bristles, pendulous in clusters, fre- 

 quently sterile. Calif., Lower Calif. 



51. fiilgida, Engelm. A numerously branched arbores- 

 cent plant, often 10-12 ft. high, with erect trunk 8-14 in. 



