PERESKIA. 



17 



most formidable protection. In the grazing regions of the country and along railways 

 where wire fencing is employed, the trunks and larger branches are used for posts and 

 smaller branches for intervening supports ; these posts and stays, however, do not die, but 

 in time grow to considerable size. 



Although the wood, especially the branches, has little strength or endurance, it is used 

 somewhat for making hanging baskets for orchids. It is known everywhere as guamacho, 

 which was taken by Weber as the specific name for the plant. 



Figures 9 and 10 are from photographs taken by Mr. H. Pittier at Caracas, Venezuela, 

 in 1913. 



10. Pereskia colombiana sp. nov. 



A tree, 6 to 1 1 meters high, or sometimes smaller and shrub-like; main stem covered with clus- 

 ters of slender spines, 2.5 to 7 cm. long; branches glabrous, either bearing spines or naked, covered 

 with light-brown bark; areoles small, woolly; leaves oblong to obliquely 

 orbicular, short-petioled, unarmed at base, often broad above, usually 

 acute, probably fleshy, glabrous, 4 cm. long or less; flowers bright yel- 

 low, opening about midday, borne on the old wood, solitary, sessile, 4 cm. 

 broad; ovary covered with small ovate, acute leaves, these hairy in the 

 axils; sepals oblong, obtuse, about i cm. long, entire on the margins; 

 stamens numerous; fruit not known. 



Collected by Herbert H. Smith at low altitudes near Santa 

 Marta, Colombia, in April, 1898' to 1905 (No. 1886, type), and from 

 the same locality by Justin Goudot in 1844, and by Francis W. 

 Pennell in 1918 (No. 4765). 



Mr. Smith remarks that the leaves are deciduous in March or 

 April, and that the tree is leafless when in bloom in the spring. 



Figure 1 1 is copied from a drawing of an herbarium specimen 

 collected by Herbert H. Smith at Ronda, Santa Marta, Colombia. 



11. Pereskia tampicana Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 939. 1898. 



Shrub; branches often without spines or the spines several, needle 

 like, black, 2 to 3 cm. long; areoles globular, appearing as knobs along the 

 stem; leaves about 5 cm. long, petioled; flowers 2.5 cm. long; petals entire, 

 rose-colored. , „ , . , 



hiG. u. — Pereskia colom- 



Type locality: Near Tampico, Mexico. '''''"''• ^°-^- 



Distribution: Eastern Mexico, but known only from the type locality. 



P. tampicana is not well known and has been reported only from Tampico, Mexico. 

 Dr. E- Palmer made a careful search for it some years ago at the type locality, but in vain. 

 In 19 1 2 Dr. Rose examined the two small specimens of the species preserved in the 

 herbarium of the Royal Botanical Garden of Berlin, and is convinced that it is a Pereskia 

 and not a Pcreskiopsis. 



Pereskia rosea A. Dietrich (Allg. Gartenz. 19: 153. 185 1; Opuniia rosea Schumann, 

 Gesamtb. Kakteen 764. 1898) is supposed to have come from Mexico, but we have not 

 been able to identify it ; Schumann refers to it in a note under P. tampicana. Here he also 

 takes up Pereskia zinniaeflora De Candolle (Prodr. 3 : 475. 1828). Both these specific names 

 are much older than P. tampicana, and should either of them be found identical with it, the 

 name P. tampicana would be rejected. 



12. Pereskia bleo (HBK.) De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 475. 1828. 



Cactus bleo Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth, Nov. Gen. et Sp. 6: 69. 

 Pereskia panamensis Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 739. 1898. 



1823. 



A tree, sometimes 7 meters high ; trunk 10 cm. in diameter or less, when old becoming naked, but 

 young shoots often bear large fascicles of spines (sometimes 25 or more); young branches red, leafy, 

 its spines in fascicles of 5 and 6, but young shoots often bear but i to 4, black, acicular, up to 2.5 cm. 



