Boston Journal of Natural History. 65 



tender, and bear the ultimate articulations, which are about 

 an inch long, and very easily break off. What is remarka- 

 ble, the fruits are often proliferous, and bear from one to four 

 or five new branches from the upper bunches of spines." p.445. 



This new variety. Dr. Gray, in a note appended, states that 

 he has little doubt is the O. fragilis of Nuttall, attaining a 

 fuller growth in that warm region, than on the Missouri. As 

 a species of Cactus, it is rather remarkable for its singular 

 habits, than for its flowers, which are small, solitary, and at 

 the point of the articulations. So brittle is the plant that 

 the articulations or joints of the stem easily come off and 

 attach themselves to every thing which they happen to touch. 

 Mr. Nuttall first discovered it in Missouri growing from the 

 Mandaas to the Rocky Mountains. 



Mr. Lindheimer forwarded seven other Cacti, mostly in 

 hving species, which have been revised by Dr. Engelman. 

 They are : — 



" 1. Opuntia sp. without flower or fruit; probably O. vul- 

 garis. It attains the height of several feet, with large obo- 

 vate joints and a few spines. 



"2. O. Nissouriensis? Perhaps O. vulgaris, but very spiny. 



''3. Mammillaria sinuhs, (n. sp.) " Nearly related to M. 

 Simplex, of Nuttall^ but forming tufts of a foot diameter. 

 Flowers not seen," &c. 



4. " M. Sulcata (n. sp.) — with the preceding. Flowers 

 opening two or three days in direct sunshine, two inches or 

 more in diameter. [This pretty species has also flowered in 

 the Cambridge Botanic Garden."] Gray. 



".5. Echinocactus setispinus, (n. sp ) Flowers about 

 five lines long." 



"6. E. Lindheimerw, (n. sp.) Flowers about two inches in 

 length, twelve or more aggregated in the woolly centre. The 

 petals at the base are scarlet, verging to orange, from which 

 a pale purple or violet midrib extends to the apex, and is pro- 

 longed into a delicate bristle of the same color, while the up- 

 per part of the petal is pearly white, with feathery margins. 

 The flowers remain for three days, expanding only in bright 

 sunshine. 



7. Cereus caespitosus, (n. sp.) Gravelly soil, near Cat 

 Spring, west of San Filipe. A singular reduced cereus, quite 



VOL. xn. — NO. n. 9 



