OPUNTIA 



OPUNTIA 



2363 



2603. Opuntia ursina. 



to purple, with insipid purplish pulp; seeds compara- 

 tively large. W. Cent. U. S. An exceedingly variable 

 species of wide distribution and imperfectly known. 

 Many varieties have been described, some of which are 

 in the trade. The extreme forms vary greatly from the 

 type. Of these forms vars. Greenii, oplocarpa, cymo- 

 chila, stenochila and mac- 

 rorhiza, Hort., have ap- 

 peared in the trade. 



25. vulgaris, Mill. BAR- 

 BERRY FIG. A diffuse, pros- 

 trate plant a foot or less 

 high: joints usually resting 

 on the ground and rooting 

 from the lower margin, obo- 

 vate to suborbicular, thick, 

 2-4 in. greatest diam., pale 

 green: areoles with grayish 

 wool and a few short, green- 

 ish yellow bristles; spines 

 rarely present, when present 

 usually 1, stout, erect, less 

 than 1 in. long, yellow, 

 often variegated: fls. 2 in. 

 wide, pale or chrome-yellow: 

 fr. obovate to spherical, 1 

 in. diam., red, flesh insipid. 

 E. U. S. Hardy in Mass. 



26. Pes-c6rvi, LeConte. 

 A small, diffuse, prostrate 

 plant, rarely 1 ft. high: joints 

 fragile, somewhat tumid, 



narrowly ovate to obovate or oblong, 2-4 in. long and 

 less than half as wide, frequently much smaller, very 

 thick, broadly oval in transverse section, bright green 

 with a bluish tinge: areoles circular, with short, whitish 

 wool and a few short, slender, pale bristles; spines 

 rarely exceeding 2, frequently none, slender, white, 

 often brownish, less than 1 in. long: fls. yellow, 1% in. 

 wide: fr. obovate, bristly, purplish, 1 in. or less diam.; 

 seeds comparatively large, very few. Fla. 



27. ursina, Web. GRIZZLY-BEAR OPUNTIA. Fig. 

 2603. An upright, diffuse plant, 1-2 ft. high: joints 

 oblong to obovate, grayish green, thick, 3-6 in. long and 

 2-4 in. wide : areoles with white wool and numerous 

 yellow bristles; spines 12-20, reddish white, very slen- 

 der and bristle-like, sometimes 4 in. long, frequently 

 almost completely hiding the epidermis of the plant: 

 fls. 2 }^-3 in. wide, reddish yellow. Calif. 



28. hystricina, Engelm & Bigel. A semi-prostrate, 

 spreading plant, J^-l^j ft. high: joints obovate to 

 orbicular, 3-5 in. long, moderately thick and very 

 spiny: areoles with grayish wool and yellowish red 

 bristles; spines 10-15, 2 in. long or shorter, white or 

 dusky, slender, flexile, angular and twisted: fls. light 

 purple, 2-3 in. wide: fr. broadly obovate, 1 in. diam., 

 armed with many long spines. S. W. U. S. 



29. polyacantha, Haw. (0. missouriensis, DC. 0. 

 ferox, Haw. 0. splendens, Hort.). Fig. 2604 (adapted 

 from Pacific R. R. Report) . A prostrate, wide-spreading 

 plant, rarely rising 1 ft. above the ground : joints vari- 

 able, from elongate-obovate to orbicular, usually bright 

 green, frequently wrinkled and tuberculate, 2-6 in. 

 long: areoles about J^in. apart, with short, grayish 

 wool and long, reddish brown bristles; spines 0-12, very 

 variable in length, number and color on different forms 

 and plants from different localities, mostly marginal, 

 white or variously tinged with red or brown, slender, 

 twisted and flattened, some reaching a length of 3 in.: 

 fls. yellow, darker within, 2-2 J^ in. wide: fr. broadly 

 ovate or subglobose, %-l in. diam., armed with numer- 

 ous rather short spines; seeds comparatively large. 

 W. Cent. U. S. A species of wide distribution and 

 very variable, some high mountain forms entirely 

 without spines, while other forms are armed with a 



close network of closely interwoven ones. A number 

 of the forms have been segregated as varieties, of 

 which the best known are rufispina, platycarpa, 

 microsperma, albispina and trichophora, Hort. All the 

 forms appear to run together and the varietal distinc- 

 tions are of doubtful value. Hardy in Mass. 



30. rutila, Nutt. A low, diffuse plant, J-l ft. high: 

 joints tumid, readily becoming detached, and covered 

 with a close network of slender, interwoven, light gray 

 spines, thick, elongate-ovate. 2-4 in. long: areoles 

 crowded, less than J^in. apart, with short, white wool 

 and yellow bristles; spines 3-5, sometimes a few short 

 accessory ones, slender, reddish gray to white, with 

 darker tips, 1% in. or less in length, larger ones often 

 flattened and twisted: fls. red, 13^-2 in. wide: fr. broadly 

 ovate to subglobose, usually armed with very long, 

 interwoven spines; seeds comparatively large. S. W. 

 U. o. 



31. arenaria, Engelm. A diffuse plant with upright 

 terminal joints, rarely 1 ft. high: joints thick, obovate, 

 2-5 in. long and half as wide, tumid, strongly tubercu- 

 late: areoles crowded, J^-^in. apart, with sparse white 

 wool and numerous yellowish brown bristles; spines 

 very variable in number and size, 3-10, slender, flexible, 

 white to ashy gray, usually 1 in. or less long: fls. yellow, 

 2-2 }/2 in. broad: fr. ovate to globose, very spiny; seeds 

 large and irregular. S. U. S. 



32. fragilis, Haw. A small, prostrate plant, rarely 

 more than 4 in. high: joints tumid, fragile, easily 

 detached, oval, elliptical, or subglobose, 1-2 in. long and 

 nearly as thick as broad, bright green: areples M~/^ m - 

 apart, with whitish wool and a few white to yellow 

 bristles, which are much longer and more abundant on 

 older joints; spines 1-4, occasionally a few small 

 additional ones, weak, dark brown, the upper one 

 usually longer and stronger than the others, rarely an 

 inch in length: fls. greenish yellow, 1-1 % in. wide: 

 fr. ovate to subglobose. with few spines or bristles, 

 mostly sterile, an inch or less long; seeds few and large. 

 Rocky Mt. region from Canada to New Mex. Var. 

 brachyarthra, Coult. A plant with more swollen joints, 

 more numerous and stronger spines, smaller fls. and 

 more spiny fr. Colo., New Mex. Var. casspitosa, Hort. 

 Joints bright green, smaller and more crowded than in 

 the type: fls. bright yellow. Colo. Var. tuberiformis, 

 Hort. Joints olive-green, bulbous-looking. Colo. 



33. cylindrica, DC. (Cereus cylindricus, Haw.). A 

 moderately branched upright plant, 10-12 ft. high, 

 with main sts. 2- 



2^2 in- diam., 

 new growth dark 

 green, the com- 

 paratively long 

 (Kin.) Ivs. per- 

 sisting for some 

 time: areoles de- 

 pressed, with a 

 little white wool, a 

 few white bristles 

 and some long 

 white hairs ; spines 

 at first 2-3, erect, 

 rather stiff, H m - 

 or less long, at 

 first whitish yel- 

 low, later grayish : 

 fls. rose-red, 2-2 ^ 

 in. wide from end 

 of joints: fr. pyri- 

 form, 2-2 H in. 

 long, yellowish 

 green, somewhat 

 spiny. Chile. Var. 

 cristata is offered 

 in cult. 2604. Opuntia polyacantha. 



