198 CACTACEA OF THE BOUNDARY. 
younger plants terete ; in perfectly developed ones triangular and flattened, 8 or 10 to 15 or 20 lines long: sometimes 
we find one or two additional shorter and angular central spines above the principal one, diverging upward. Flowers 
2-3 inches long, and of the same and even greater width when fully open. The smallest were obtained at Eagle Pass, 
‘bright purplish-red ; these have more numerous as well as slenderer and shorter spines on the ovary, and bloom earlier, 
The larger flowers come from El Paso and Chihuahua, from larger plants with longer spines. Berry 10 or 12 lines 
ong, greenish or purplish, pleasant to eat. Seed 0.5 line or less in the longest diameter ; its tubercles very prominent 
and distinct. 
11. C, STRAMINEUS, sp. nov. : ovato-cylindricus, versus apicem attenuatus, lete viridis, cespitosus densissimeque 
agglomeratus ; costis 11-13 sursum compressis obtusis tuberculatis transverse sulcatis ; areolis orbiculatis remotis; 
aculeis radialibus 7-10 (plerumque 8) rectis seu paulo curvatis basi bulbosis teretibus seu inferioribus subinde 
angulatis albis subpellucidis subequalibus ; aculeis centralibus subquaternis basi peace angulatis elongatis radiales 
longe excedentibus sepe flexuosis stramineis fuscatis, nascentibus sepe roseis seu purpureis, SS sursum 
divergentibus, inferiore latiore porrecto seu paulo deflexo ; floribus lateralibus seas ovarii squamis 30-40 triangu- 
laribus et sepalis tubi late campanulati 20-30 inferioribus oblongis abrupte cuspidatis in axilla villosa gehen paucos 
flexuosos elongatos gerentibus ; sepalis superioribus 10-15 oblongo-obovatis obtusis seu cuspidatis ; petalis 15-18 late 
obovatis obtusis eroso-denticulatis; stigmatibus 10-13 elongatis erecto-patulis ; bacca ovato-subglobosa magna purpu- 
rascente aculeolis elongatis numerosis deciduis armata ; seminibas obovatis obliquis tuberculatis ; hilo oblongo parvo ; 
cotyledonibus subcurvatis. (Tab. XLVI-XLVIL, et Tab. XLVIII. fig. 1. 
igh gravelly table-lands, and on the abet sane ls E] Paso, extending east to the Pecos and west 
to the Gila (Wright, Bigelow, Parry). Flowers June; fruit ripe in July and August. — A most remarkable plant, on 
account of the immense masses it forms, one plant often consisting of 100 or 200 heads in a regular hemispherical mass, 
which is covered and defended by the long, flexuous, straw-colored spines: these have suggested the specific name of 
the plant. Single heads 5-9 inches high and 2-3 inches in diameter, tapering toward the top, at base closely impacted 
together ; areole in vigorous plants 3-1 inch apart, in older plants becoming more approximate. Radial spines 
#-1} inch long, on the lower part of the plant shorter; central puows 2-3 or even 34 inches long, straight or — 
twisted, and the younger ones red or brown. ower 3 or 4 inches in length, and spreading as wide 
wider, appearing very full from the bases (8-12 lines) and numerous petals of a bright-purple or pata [36] 
color, ini to crimson. Ovary with only few spines (2-4 lines long) on each pulvillus; the spines on the 
tube more numerous and about twice as long. These spines increase in number and length during the growth of the 
fruit, so that at maturity we find 8 or 10 in each fascicle, } to 1 inch in length. Fruit 14-2 inches long, 1} inch thick, 
readily shedding the spines; purple ; of a delicious taste, intermediate between a strawberry and a gooseberry. The 
small seeds (0.5-0.7 line long) cannot be distinguished from those of the last species. The tubercles are large for the 
size of the seed, and very distinct. 
12. C. DUBIUS, sp. nov.: eran ae viridis, ceespitosus ; costis 7-9 obtusis tuberculatis ; sinubus 
latis parum profundis; areolis orbiculatis remotis ; aculeis albidis subpellucidis, radialibus 5-8 teretibus seu subangu- 
latis, superioribus szepe deticientibus, satiel vt 1-4 “pulbosis angulatis elongatis rectis seu incurvis ; floribus laterali- 
bus ; ovarii pulvillis 20 in squame triangularis axilla parce villosa aculeolos paucos breves gerentibus ; sepalis tu tubi 
inferioribus 16-20 ovato-lanceolatis cum aculeolis 1-3 longioribus ; sepalis superioribus sub-10 oblongo-spathulatis 
obtusis ; petalis sub-10 spathulatis obtusis pallide purpureis ; stigmatibus 8-10; bacca subglobosa virescente-purpurea 
feiciontis aculeolorum 8-12 elongatorum deciduis armata ; seminibus globoso-obovatis obliquis confluento-tuberculatis, 
hilo cireulari. (Tab. L.) 
Sandy bottoms of the Rio Grande, and from El Paso (Wright, Bigelow) to below Presidio (Parry, with Algarobia, 
Fouquiera, and Larrea). Flowers June and July. — Stems 5-8 inches high, not so densely cespitose as the last one, of 
a pale-green color and soft flabby texture; ribs few, broad ; grooves shallow. Radial spines 6-12 or 15 lines long, lower 
ones longer than eee ones, or the upper spines very commonly entirely wanting, a replaced by the 3 upper central 
ones; central spines 14-3 inches long, the lower one somewhat stouter and longer than the upper ones. Flower 
24 inches long, of the same diameter ; petals fewer and narrower than in the last species, only 6 lines wide, paler 
(rose-colored), and mostly quite obtuse and almost entire; ovary in this as in the last species remarkably small and 
undeveloped while the flower is fully open, its spines few iid short, growing afterward in length and numbers more 
than is noticed in any _— species. Ripe frait 1-14 inch long, with 20-24 pulvilli, on each of them 9-12 bristly 
spines 4-9 lines long; fruit green or rarely purplish, insipid or pleasantly acid. Seed larger than in the two last 
species, 0.6-0.7 line long Apap aetentiany with a circular hilum; the tubercles not distinct as in the others, but 
confluent, and forming pits in the inters 
These three species are very at allied, but are said to be easily distinguished in their wild state. The 
characters given above are said to be quite constant, and seem to establish them as good species. 
13. C. ENcELMANNI, Parry in Sillim. Journ. 1852, n. ser. 14, p. 338: ovato-cylindricus, e basi parce TaMosus ; 
