OPUNTIA 



OPUNTIA 



1149 



in. wide, sometimes twice as large, dark to light green: 

 areola? with gray wool and bright reddish brown bris- 

 tles; spines sometimes wanting, when present 1-3 and 

 mostly marginal, stout, 1 in. long, white with darker 

 tips and bases, frequently 1-3 small secondary spines 

 also present : fls. 3 in. or less in diam., golden yellow, 

 frequently with reddish center: fr. slender-clavate or 

 broader, l%-2 in. long, yellowish red to purple, with 

 insipid purplish pulp; seeds comparatively large. West 

 central 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. GreSnii, oplocarpa, cymochlla, steno- 

 chila and macrorhiza have appeared in the trade. 

 Hardy in Mass. 



LM. vulgaris, Mill. BARBERRY FIG. A diffuse, pros- 

 trate plant a foot or less high: joints usually resting on 

 the ground and rooting from the lower margin, obovate 

 to suborbicular, thick, 2-4 in. in greatest diam., pale 

 green : areolae with grayish wool and a few short, greenish 

 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. in diam., red, flesh insipid. 

 Eastern U. S. Hardy in Mass. 



26. Pes-c6rvi, LeConte. A small, diffuse, prostrate 

 plant, rarely reaching 1 ft. in height: 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: areolae 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 in diam; seeds comparatively large, very few. 

 Florida. 



27. ursina, Web. (Grizzly-bear Opuntia). Fig. 1548. 

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

 obovate, grayish green, thick, 3-6 in. long and 2-4 in. 

 wide: ariolae with white wool and numerous yellow 

 bristles; spines 12-20, reddish white, very slender and 

 bristle-like, sometimes 4 in. long, frequently almost 

 completely hiding the epidermis of the plant: fls. 2%-3 

 in wide, reddish yellow. Calif. Popularly known as 

 "Grizzly Bear" Cactus. 



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

 spreading plant, %-!% ft. high: joints obovate to or- 

 bicular, 3-5 in. long, moderately thick and very spiny : 

 areolae with grayish wool and yellowish red bristles; 

 spines 10-15, 2 in. long or shorter, white or dusky, slen- 

 der, flexile, angular and twisted : fls. light purple, 2-3 in. 

 wide: fr. broadly obovate, 1 in. in diam., armed with 

 many long spines. Southwest U. S. 



29. Missouri6nsis, P. DC. (0. ferox, Haw. O. spUn- 

 dens, Hort.). A prostrate, wide-spreading plant, rarely 

 rising 1 ft. above the ground: joints variable, from 

 elongate-obovate to orbicular, usually bright green, fre- 

 quently wrinkled and tuberculate, 2-6 in. long: areolae 

 about % 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 va- 

 riously tinged with red or brown, slender, twisted and 

 flattened, some reaching a length of 3 in. : fls. yellow, 

 darker within, 2-2 % in. wide: fr. broadly ovate or sub- 

 globose, %-l in. in diam., armed with numerous rather 

 short spines; seeds comparatively large. West-central 

 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. All the forms appear to run together and 

 the varietal distinctions are of doubtful value. Hardy 

 in Massachusetts. 



30. rutila. Nutt. A low, diffuse plant, X to 1 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: areolae 



crowded, less than % in. apart, with short, white wool 

 and yellow bristles; spines .'{-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: tts. red, l%-2 in. wide: fr. broadly 

 ovate to subglobose, usually armed with very long, in- 

 terwoven spines; seeds comparatively large. South- 

 west United States. 



31. arenaria, Engelm. A diffuse plant with upright 

 terminal joints, rarely reaching 1 ft. in height: joints 

 thick, obovate, 2-5 in. long and half as wide, tumid, 

 strongly tuberculate: areolae crowded, 34-% 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% in. broad: fr. ovate to globose, 

 very spiny; seeds large and irregular. Southwest U. S. 



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

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

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

 nearly as thick as broad, 



bright green : areolae 34- 

 % in. apart, with whitish 

 wool and a few white 

 to yellow bristles, which 

 are much longer ana 

 more abundant on older 

 joints; spines 1-4, occa- 

 sionally a few small ad- 

 ditional ones, weak, dark 

 brown, the upper one 

 usually longer and 

 stronger than the others, 

 rarely an inch in length: 

 fls. greenish yellow, 1- 

 134 in. wide: fr. ovate 

 to subglobose, with few 

 spines or bristles, mostly 

 sterile, an inch or less 

 long ; seeds few and 

 large. Rocky mountain 

 region from British 

 Amer. to New Mex. 

 Var.brachyarthra,Coult. 

 A plant with more swol- 

 len joints, more numer- 

 ous and stronger spines, 

 smaller fls. and more 

 spiny fruit. Colo., New 

 Mex. 



1548. Opuntia ursina. No. 27. 



33. cylindrica, P. DC. A moderately branched upright 

 plant, 10-12 ft. high, with main stem 2-2% in. in diam., 

 new growth dark green, the comparatively long (% in.) 

 Ivs. persisting for some time: areolse depressed, with a 

 little white wool, a few white bristles and some long 

 white hairs: spines at first 2-3, erect, rather ptiff, % in. 

 or less long, at first whitish yellow, later grayish: fls. 

 rose-red, 2-2% in. wide from end of joints : fr. pyriform, 

 2-2% in. long, yellowish green, somewhat spiny. Chile. 

 Var. cristata is offered. 



34. vestita, Salm. A small, upright, numerously 

 branched, ramifying plant a foot or more in height: 

 joints rather short, 1-2 in. long and half as thick, usu- 

 ally dark green : areolse with white to grayish wool and 

 a number of long, rather soft, grayish white hairs; 

 spines 4-8, either short, flexible and grayish yellow or 

 four times as long ( %-% in. ) , stiff and red : fls. 1-1% in. 

 wide, mostly lateral, dark red: fr. ellipsoidal, 34-% in. 

 long, bright red and covered with grayish wool. Bolivia. 



35. clavarioides, Link & Otto. A low, numerously 

 branched, spreading plant, 1-1% ft. high: joints rather 

 fragile and slender, % in. thick, cylindrical or somewhat 

 clavate, frequently cristate, with numerous terminal, 

 slender branches : Ivs. extremely small : areolae close to- 

 gether, small, with white wool; spines 4-10, sometimes 

 fewer, very small and appressed, white: fls. 1-1% in. 

 wide and twice as long, greenish red: fr. elliptical, 

 %-%in. long; seeds with woolly hairs. Chile. -Var. 

 cristata is offered. 



36. Salmiana, Parm. A numerously branched, up- 

 right plant, about 3 ft. high, with very long, propor- 



