746 



CACTACE/E. 



[Epigynous Exogens. 



Order CCLXXXVI. CACTACEiE.— Indian Figs. 



Cacti, Just. Gen. 310 (1789) in part.— Cactoideae, Vent. Tail. 3. 289. (1799).— Opuntiaceae, Jus*. Diet. 

 Sc. 144. (1825) in purl ; Kuntk. Nov. G. el Sp. 6. 65.— Nopales, DC. TlUorie E/tm. 21f>. (1819j.— 

 Cacteaa, DC. Prodr. 3. 457; Revue des Cactees Mem. Mus. (1829). Link and Otto in Verhand. des 

 ver. Gart. Preuts. vol. iii. p. 412. Martins in Act. Acad. Nat. Cur. XVI. ; Lemaire Cact. Hori. 

 Monv. (1838) ; Id. Cactearum Gen. Nov.; Miquel in Dull. Sc. Phys.en Neerlandt, 1839. p. 89. 118 ; 

 P/eifer, Enum. Cact.; Walpers Repertorium, 2.269; Salm. Di/ck. Horttu Dyckensis, 1842 , End!. 

 Gen. cciv. ; Wight. Illustr. 2. 1. 114. ; Schleiden Deitriige zur Analomie der Cacteen ; Miquel in Ann. 

 Sc. Nat. 19. 165. 



Diagnosis. — Cactal Exogens, with the sepals and petals numerous and undistinguishable, 

 scattered stamens, confluent styles, horizontal ovules, and seeds without albumen. 



Succulent shrubs, very variable in form. Stems usually angular, or two-edged, 

 or leafy. Wood either arranged in a ring of wedges separated by wide medullary 

 passages, or consisting 

 of fibres loosely inter- 

 lacing, and only col- 

 lecting hi compact zones 

 when old. ■ Leaves 

 almost always wanting ; 

 when present, flesh}', 

 smooth, and entire, 

 or spine-like. Flowers 

 either showy or minute, 

 usually lasting only one 

 day or night, always 

 sessile. Sepals nume- 

 rous, sometimes 4, but 

 usually indefinite, and 

 confounded with the 

 petals, either crowning 

 the ovary, or covering 

 its whole surface. Pe- 

 tals 4 or more, com- 

 monly numerous, usually indefinite, 

 arising from the orifice of the ca- 

 lyx, sometimes irregular, 

 indefinite, more or less cohering 

 with the petals and sepals ; fila- 

 ments long, filiform ; anthers ovate, 

 versatile. Ovary fleshy, inferior, 

 1 -celled, with numerous ovules 

 arranged upon parietal placentae, 

 equal in number to the lobes of 

 the stigma ; style filiform ; stig- 

 mas numerous, collected in a clus- 

 ter. Fruit succulent, 1-celled, 

 many -seeded, either smooth, or 

 covered with scales, scars, or tu- 

 bercles. Seeds parietal, or, having 

 lost their adhesion, nestling in 

 pulp, ovate or obovate, without 

 albumen ; embryo either straight, 

 curved, or spiral, with a short 



Fig. CCCCXCVII1. 



thick radicle next the hilum ; cotyledons flat, thick, foliaceous, sometimes almost obso- 

 lete in the leafless species. 



That remarkable distension or increase of the cellular tissue of plants, from which 

 the name of succulent is derived, is no indication of natural affinity, but is rather to be 



Fig. CCCCXCVIII.— Cereus speciosissimus. 1. section of the fruit of Opuntia Dillenii ; 2. of the seed, 

 (Gcertmr] ; 3. section of seed of Mainniillaria. 



