CATALOGUE. 129 
a little stouter; deep red flowers, 13-24’ long, half as wide, open equally 
day and night, spatulate, rather stiff petals, rounded at tip—From West 
Texas to Southern Colorado and Arizona, as far west as the San Francisco 
Mountains, Bigelow, and from Fort Whipple, Palmer. 
Cereus (EcuINocrrevs) TrIGLOcHIDIATUS, Engelm—Few (2-5) 
globose or oval heads, 2-4’ high, 2-24 thick, 6-7-ribbed; areole more 
distant than in the last; spines fewer, only 3-6, flattened or angular, 
usually curved, about 1’ long; flowers same as in last—New Mexico, Santa 
Fé, 1874, Rothrock (39). C. gonacanthus, Engel. & Bigel., which extends 
from New Mexico to the Arkansas River and westward to Zufi, and is 
characterized by its stouter, longer, and rmore numerous spines, may 
belong to this species; and perhaps both, with numerous other so-called 
species, which vary only in the number of the ribs, the number or form of 
the spines, and the closeness of the spine-bunches, but have all similar 
flowers, may have to be considered as forms of one polymorphous type 
(C. pheniceus). 
Opuntia (PLATOPUNTIA) BAsILARIS, Engelm. & Bigel—A low plant, 
with broadly obovate, often retuse or fan-shaped joints, branching mostly 
from the base, pubescent, as well as the fruit; areole very close, without 
spines, but densely covered with short, yellowish-brown bristles; flowers 
large, rose-purple; fruit dry, subglobose, with rather few, large and thick 
seeds.—Southeastern California to Arizona. Distinct from all other species 
of this region by its mode of growth, its pubescence, the absence of spines 
proper, and the very large (34-5” wide) seeds. The large purple flowers, 
which in the season completely cover the plant, make a beautiful show. 
OpunTIA (Pxatopuntia) Missourrensis, DC.—Santa Fé, N. Mex., 
1874, Rothrock (6). Common from the plains of the Missouri into the 
mountains. A low, very spiny (whence Nuitall’s name, 0. ferox) species, 
with yellow or sometimes (on the Upper Arkansas plains) purple flowers, 
and dry spiny pods, which contain large, much compressed, and broadly 
margined seeds.—Several more, probably half a dozen, flat-jointed Opuntie 
have been noticed-in Arizona, some prostrate and with smaller joints; 
others tall, erect, with large joints (to a foot or more in length), many 
of them very spiny; of them not much is known, as the plants are difficult 
9 BOT 
