GRIFFITHS: NEW AND OLD SPECIES OF OPUNTIA 197 
projecting less than I mm. beyond wool, fugacious spines, few, 
brown to yellowish, 0.5—0.75 cm. long, mostly in upper areoles. 
This species has come to us from various Mexican sources. 
I first secured it at Aguas Calientes, Mexico, in 1905; later at 
Mixcoac, Mexico. The type is established, however, upon plants 
grown from seed secured at Del Rio, Texas, July, 1908. The 
plants from which this seed was secured were brought originally 
from Mexico. The type is carried under my inventory No. 9410. 
One or possibly two other collections of it have been grown to 
maturity. 
This is well characterized as a blue-green spineless (nearly) 
species with fruit pulp green and palatable. [ have no suggestions 
regarding its spiny affinity at present. 
Opuntia diversispina sp. nov. 
Plants erect, tree-like, 1-1.5 m. high and with a similar spread, 
joints obovate, broadly rounded above, 14 x 25 cm., to broadest 
at middle, and pointed above and below and measuring 14 x 30 
cm., dark, glossy green, but likely to be yellowish in exposed 
surfaces, slightly when at all raised at areoles the second year; 
areoles subcircular to broadly oval, 4 mm. in length, brown, 
turning dirty gray to black; spines on second season’s growth 3 to 
6, yellow, 12-15 mm. long or less, either porrect or sloping down 
on edges of joints the second year or late the first, becoming more 
recurved and increasing in number in age with a variable number, 
20 to 30, spicule-like yellow bristles, 6-12 mm. long, scattered 
mainly through upper edge of areoles, widely spreading, and 
requiring careful examination to be distinguished from the spines, 
the lower portion of areole containing 2 to 4 white, delicate, wavy, 
bent and twisted hair-like bristles besides; spicules 1-2 mm. long 
in a compact tuft near upper edge of areole, but not appearing 
until late in the year or even not until the second year; flower buds 
dull red with segments closely appressed; flowers yellow, red 
exteriorly in portions of petals exposed in the bud, fading to a light 
pink late in the day, filaments greenish at base but mostly white, 
style white, stigma large, medium green, 8-9-parted, petals 
broadly rounded at apex, mucronate, becoming more or less 
laciniate late in the day; fruit subglobose to obovate about 22 x 30 
mm., yellow or greenish, deeply pitted, its pulvini 2 mm, i 
diameter, tawny, bearing a profusion of flexuous, hair-like, weak, 
fugacious spines 10-12 mm. long. [PLATE 9.] 
This species has been in our collection for many years. Its 
