OPUNTIA 



flavored fruit, raruly eaten even by the Indians. O. lai-is 

 lias one of the largest and most palatable fruits of any 

 of the species found growing wild within the United 

 States. This plant also has the advantage of having 



but few spiui-s. (>. CiinKnirhiia. <>. llttfiin sqiiii . (). 



limited. Being natives of the western plains and foot- 

 hills of the mountains, they can scarcely suffer from 

 long-continued drought, and the sunny side of the 

 rocliery will suit thtm exactly, as it will allow all sur- 



used 



Aot 



'(.—Many of the Opuntias have 

 alue, particularly during periods 

 II other forage crops are short. 

 r southwestern United States feed 

 s or fruits, or both, of nearly all 



En., 



and the pendulous fruit rl u-^m - <■! ('-.'■/;•■'•■ i" i^:: -i 



largely consumed. WIm i : ,1 



Opuntias the spines :m 1 . : ■ . 1 1 ; . . 1 ' ■ : 1 



stomachs, forming liu-L'i' iini v.-.iv.. Ihimh^ \,;u- 



of scarcity of otlier fur;tfif. Liiuu^aml^ ul ruulti- lin- in 

 Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, where tlie cause as- 

 signed is starvation, when in reality' the direct cause of 

 death has been the perforation of the alimentary canal 

 by the numerous spines of Opuntias. 



In northern Africa the flat joints of the forms with 

 few spines are used as forage for cattle during the dry 

 season, after being allowed to ferment slightly. In 

 Tunis, pl:uit;itioiis are sustained by ilairyiiiiii for the 



pur 







recii);iii7..il \:\ ilic Hutch farmers; viz., a thorny variety 

 growing; on tin- ..|.i-n country and on stony hillsides 

 known u-^ l)i..uiiblad, and a fewer-spined larger variety 

 witii thickvr sti 111s known as Kaalblad. It is probable 

 tliat Ihc-si- \wu varieties originated from the same intro- 

 du.tion, fc.r. according to Mr. Macdouald, the seed from 

 till- ll.j.,niblad or Kaalblad variety may give rise to 

 plaiit-i ri'seiuliling either or both of them. It is exten- 

 sively used as feed for cattle, ostriches and pigs, either 

 alone or when mixed with other forage. Here, however, 

 much harm has come from range cattle eating it in 

 times of little or no other forage, and ostriches become 

 blind from the spines and bristles getting into their 

 eyes in eating the fruits. 



In New South Wales and Australia, where several 

 species have escaped from cultivation and spread over 

 large areas of arable land and driven out more valuable 

 forage plants, the land has depreciated 50 per cent in 

 value. Here, however, some of the worthless species, 

 such as O. viili/aris and O. monneantha, are more 

 widely spread than the more valuable varieties of O. 

 Fu-ii.- h.'h^.. ;,i,.| (>. Tuna. 



!•' h <,<,iif of Present Varieties. — Fvom 



wli:.i ! II may be seen, first, that varieties 



of 0. / . // / Hiid O. Tuna produce large crops of 

 edible and iiutiitir>us fruits; second, that plants with 

 few or no spines are the general rule in O. Ficus-Indica 

 and of not infrequent occurrence in O. Tuna ; third, 

 that Opuntias are strong, vigorous plants that will grow 

 in sitntitioiiv in wliiiOi fewotherplants will thrive; fourth, 

 that ^iiiii ii - i..iiii~ make valuable forage. 



Wiiii :i ■ i 1 ii- qualities to recommend them, it 



vi't n II I . I I rticultural enterprise to develop a 

 s|uii, I. ,: .: iM l.ss variety that will not only be of 

 vain. ! ' i I will produce large crops of fj-uits 



asattiMi ■ ' . .lucated palate as to the savin,-. . 



FriMd ■> . . . ■ , , irained in establishing a gar.l. n ..f 



neatly 7.1 -[ 1 .1 varieties of Opuntias, conipri^itii; 



abi.ut ::"ii j.h.n'-. i.n.l wat.hing their growtli and ln- 

 havior fi.r s. i.n.l viir-. tli. writer believes that they 

 offer sf.-at |.... iiiiliii. - III til.- way of improvement in 

 the hands ot a .aLliil plaiii -hn-eder. ,T. W. TnnreT. 



Hardy Opuntias >ati-|-y a rattmr L'.riiriil .l.-iiv f..- 



they possess ln..ui.'b"ori^anii-,i'i ,-,,,,., 



J „.,.( ... 

 feet su..'. 

 of-doors, 

 and all 1 

 ceedcd til 

 of Eni;la 



sunny 



with sti.all, r..ul,.l t.. ..I.!..i 



topurpli~li l.f..«ti. ('..,, ■. , 

 labruni ( 'a.iu-. ih.. tall, -t .1 tl 

 branchitii; - 1 ..\m1i. with l.ti_-lit |.i 

 fruit. ('. ('..„..,,../.,.■.. lia~ ^•■r^ 

 the upper half tlii.-klv I. .-set hi 

 O. fmgilis resembles O. anu,,, 

 mesaca'nflia includes a multitud. 

 are very hardy. O. pliopacaiitln 

 the most striking sorts, with ini 

 dark purple spiiir-, vr)|..w tl..- 

 O.polycantha is .n. .1 ■ ! . .. 1 

 of the most shnw ^ I ' 

 to purple and bn... , . 1 . i 



and slender. > 



flowers, usually 



In the following 



D. M. Andrews 

 psis it has not been possible 



le trail.' ar.- tr..ni .Mi-\ii'oand other southern regions 

 'he CochiiM'al plant. ..fti'ii referred to Opuntia, must b 

 aught unclf-r N.ii.aU-a. For the relationship of Opuntia 

 ) other cactaceous plants, and for additional hints 01 

 iilture, see the article Cactus in Vol. I. 



INDEX. 



acanthoearpa, 

 albispina. 14, ; 

 arborescens, .'J' 

 arbuscula, 59. 



aurantiaea, 4. 

 basilaris, 7. 

 Bemardina, 48. 

 Bigelomi, 52. 

 braehyarthra, 32. 

 BrasUiensis, 1. 

 Camanchica, 20. 

 caiidelabriformis, 



fulgida, 51. 

 fulvispina, 9. 

 Galapageia, 2. 

 glauca, 12. 

 Grahamii, 41. 

 gigantea, 20. 

 Greenii, 24. 

 Grizzlybear, 27. 

 ftorrida, 15. 

 hystricina, 28. 

 imbricata, 53. 



lepfn 



, no. 



prolifera, 50. 

 puberula, 8. 

 palchella. 39. 

 pycnacantha, 17. 

 Rafinesquii, 24. 

 ramosa. 7. 

 ramosissima, 61. 

 ruflda, 6. 

 rufispina, 29. 

 rutila, 30. 

 Salmiana, 36. 

 Schottii, 42. 

 senilis, 5. 

 serpentina, 



spin 



, 55. 



Mlssourieusis, 29. 

 monacantha. 3. 

 nigricans, 22. 



Pescorvi, 26. 

 phioacantha, 19. 

 platycarpa, 29. 

 polyantha. 14. 



