520 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [vol. SO 



Type locality : Cited as Brazil, probably erroneously. 



Distribution : Mexico. 



Illustration: Monatsschr. Kakteenk. n: 154. 



OPUNTIA SCHEERII Weber 



Opuntia schecrii WebEr in Bois, Diet. Hort. 895. 1898. 



Tvpe locality: Mexico (?). Unknown to us except by the de- 

 scription. 



Series CHAETOPHORAE 



Characterized by long weak bristles which are not at all pungent ; 

 joints glabrous. 



OPUNTIA URSINA Weber 



Opuntia ursina Weber in Bois, Diet. Hort. 896. 1898. 



Type locality: Desert of California. 

 Distribution : Type locality and vicinity. 

 Illustration : Encycl. Am. Hortic. 3 : fig. 1548. 



Series DIVARICATAE 



A group of low, spreading, small-jointed species, the joints falling 

 away readily when shocked. 



OPUNTIA CURASSAVICA Mill. 



Opuntia enrassavica Mill. Gard. Diet. ed. 8. no. 7. 1768. 



Type locality : Curacoa. 



Distribution : West Indies. 



Illustration : Pfeiff. Abbild. Cact. pi 6. fig. 2. 



Plants from the island of Culebra. Porto Rico, brought by Drs. 

 Britton and Wheeler to the New York Botanical Garden, almost 

 exactly match Pfeiffer's figure of this species. 



OPUNTIA TAYLORI Britton & Rose, sp. nov. 



Prostrate, widely branched; joints oblong to narrowly obovate, 12 

 cm. long or less, turgid, bright green, 3 to 4 cm. wide, 1 to 1.5 cm. 

 thick; areoles 1 to 1.5 cm. apart, not elevated; spines acicular, 3 to 

 6 at each areole, yellowish brown, becoming white, 4 cm. long or 

 less ; glochides yellowish brown, 3 mm. long ; flowers yellow, small, 

 the petals about 1 cm. long; ovary pyriform, 1 to 1.5 cm. long, its 

 areoles with few bristles and spineless. 



