206 CACTACEZH OF THE BOUNDARY. 
Subgen. 2. PLATOPUNTIA. [47] 
Articuli complanati, lanceolati, elliptici, obovati seu suborbiculati. Aculei nunquam vaginati. 
ee majores seu magni, Petala latiora, obovata seu orbiculata, flava seu rarius miniata, rarissime pur- 
purascen 
weer plura (5-10) obtusa. 
cca floris rudimentis dejectis late umbilicata, pulposa seu succosa, et inermis, rarius sicca et aculeata. 
Semina margine latiore seu angustiore cincta. 
Embryo plus quam circularis circa albumen parcum spiraliter convolutus. Cotyledones semper contrarie, 
incumbentes. 
This is the well-known form of Opuntie, with compressed and more or less elliptic ad decumbent or erect, 
with fibrous or sometimes tuberots roots; mostly with spines only on the upper or in section (Xerocarpee) 
on all the pulvilli, rarely (principally the Pubescentes) spineless. Flowers commonly 2-3 fai and sometimes even 
4 or 5 inches in diameter ; stigmata, as far as my observation goes, always from 5 to 8 or at most 10 in number, 
whitish, yellowish, or green, patulous or mostly erect. Fruits often edible, so that some species are cultivated for 
their fruits, and have been introduced into the warmer parts of the other continents ; in the section Xerocarpece the 
fruits are spiny and dry, Seeds among the largest in the whole genus, or even in the whole family ; in some species 
over 3 lines in diameter. 
O. STRIGIL, sp. nov.: suberecta ; articulis ovatis obovatis seu orbiculatis obtusis sen subinde assy 
sovasthet } sulvillis confertis, ‘tiitirtbus albido-villosis mox setis difformibus stramin neis stipatis, omnibus aculeiferi 
aculeis rufis fuscisque versus apicem flavidis, 5-8 radiantibus deflexis, versus margines articuli cum 1-2 Zleiatnciiile 
longioribus erectis patulis seu deflexis; bacca parva subglobosa late umbilicata areolis 25-30 minutis stipata rubra ; 
seminibus parvis crassis obtuse marginatis. (Tab. LX VII.) 
Western Texas, west of the Pecos, in crevices of flat limestone rocks; Wright, Bigelow. — About 2 feet high, 
pale green ; joints covered with numerous pulvilli, each with a bunch of bright red-brown spines, paler at the tip, 
which give this plant a very showy appearance. Joints 4-5 inches long, 33-4 inches wide ; pulvilli 4~6 lines apart, 
prominent ; their whitish wool soon disappears, leaving them covered with fine pale-yellow bristles, a dozen of which 
are longer than the rest, radiating _— and laterally, and by joining the lower radiating spines forming with them 
a complete circle. Spines on most areole 5-8, — on the lower ones (as usual) fewer, renee and Sa on the upper 
and marginal ones more perfect ; veseits radiating spines 3-4 lines, lower ones 5-8 lines long ; the one or two stouter 
somewhat compressed spines on the upper areolz are nearly an inch long ‘dood aw. bale, ja sak biota! in the 
middle, gradually fading into yellow at the point. Flower unknown. Fr ral 6-7 lines long, about 6 lines thick, with 
a broad and flat umbilicus; areole small, with gray wool and a few bristles. Seed 14 line in diameter, rather 
irregular, very thick in proportion. 
It would be desirable to obtain living specimens of this pet species, which could be easily done by travellers 
on the now well-frequented road between San Antonio and El 
3. O. ENceLMannt, Salm: erecta, grandis ; caule demum lignoso tereti cortice cinereo rimoso obducto ; 
articulis orbiculato-obovatis seu obovatis magnis pallide viridibus ; pulvillis remotis griseo-tomentosis ; setis [48] 
flavis rigidis valde inzequalibus sparsis ; aculeis paucis (in areolis superioribus pleruamque 2-3) validis compressis 
seu angulatis rectis seu subinde curvatis deflexis seu varie divergentibus stramineis corneisve basi rufis, cum adven- 
titiis inferioribus 1-2 gracilioribus pallidioribus sepe deficientibus ; floribus flavis intus rubellis ; ovario obovato- 
subgloboso seu rarius elongato subclavato sepalis e basi lata subulatis et pulvillis 20-25 griseo- seu fulvo-tomentosis 
parce setosis instructo ; sepalis tubi sub-13, exterioribus ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis, interioribus orbiculato-obovatis 
cuspidatis ; petalis 8-10 obovatis subspathulatis obtusis mucronatis; stylo crasso parum tumido; stigmatibus 8-10 
erectis ; glo bovato seu rarius pyriformi late umbilicata ; seminibus minoribus Jelctremaleetiais plerumque 
anguste marginatis. (Tab. LXXYV. fig. 1-4.) 
From the Canadian River (Bigelow) to New Braunfels, in Texas (Lindheimer), and to the mouth of the Rio 
Grande; westward to the Pecos and Presidio (Bigelow), El Paso (Wright), and perhaps to the Pacific (Parry) ; south 
to Chihuahua (Wislizenus). Flowers in May and June. — A stout, coarse-looking plant, 4-6 feet high ; lower part of 
old stems woody with loosely reticulated ligneous fibres, and with gray bark often covered with lichens, about 6 inches 
in diameter. Joints in the larger specimens 1 foot long, 9 inches in diameter ; leaves subulate, 3-4 lines long, patu- 
lous ; pulvilli 13-14 inch apart, 3-4 lines in diameter ; bristles coarse, sparse, and very unequal, longer ones on the 
upper edge of the pulvillus sometimes 4-6 lines lene spines 1-1} inch long, lower smaller ones 6-9 lines long. 
Flower 24-3 inches in diameter, characterized by the usually quite short ovary and the comparatively narrow and not 
emarginate petals. Ovary commonly 1-1} inch long, almost globose ; in some instances, gota T have seen it 
clavate and nearly 2 inches long (perhaps then sterile and inclined to become proliferous). Fruit subglobose, some- 
