I04 



THE CACTACEAE. 



the larger up to 6 cm. long, brown when young, fading white; leaves subulate, acuminate, i to 2 mm. 

 long; fruit obovoid, subtruncate, 1.5 cm. long. 



Limestone swale, Morillos de Cabo Rojo, Porto Rico (Britton, Cowell, and Brown, 

 No. 4741), growing with O. repens Bello, from which it differs by its larger, broader, and 

 flatter joints and much longer spines. 



The only locality known for this plant is at the extreme southwestern corner of Porto 

 Rico, where numerous colonies of it were observed. The region is a very dry one, rain fall- 

 ing there only at long intervals; the associated vegetation is of a highly xerophytic character. 



Figure 126 represents joints of the type specimen above cited. 



84. Opuntia militaris sp. nov. 



Stems 3 dm. tall, the branches weak and more or less spreading; joints thick, narrowly oblong 

 to obovate, 5 to 8 cm. long, somewhat shiny when young, easily breaking apart; spines i or 2 from an 

 areole, occasionally more, acicular, white, i to 2 cm. long; flower-buds pointed; flowers small, 3 cm. 

 long; petals greenish to cream-colored, tinged with pink; ovary small, its small areoles without spines. 



Collected by Dr. N. L. Britton, March 17 to 30, 1909, at the U. S. Naval Station, 

 Guantanamo Bay, Oriente, Cuba (No. 1957). 



Figure 127 represents joints of the type specimen above cited. 



Fig. 126. — Opuntia borinquensis. X0.5. 



Fig. 127. — Opuntia militaris. X0.5. 



85. Opuntia nemoralis GriSiths, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 23: 133. 19 13. 



Plants low, usually prostrate, forming clumps i meter in diameter, sometimes 3 dm. high; joints 

 ovate to obovate, thick, 7 to 9 cm. long, green, but often with purple blotches about the areoles; 

 spines i or 2, only from the upper areoles, 2 to 2.5 cm. long, mostly erect; glochids yellow; flowers 

 yellow; fruit obovoid to pyriform, small, 3 cm. long, light red, truncate. 



Type locality: Longview, Texas. 



Distribution: Pine woods and fields about Longview, Texas. 



This species in habit, joints, and spines suggests the Tortispinae; but on account of 

 having easily detached joints we have referred it to the Curassavicae, as indicated in the 

 original description, placing it between the Cuban species 0. militaris and the United 

 States species 0. drmnmondii. It is known only from the type specimens. 



86. Opuntia drummondii Graham in Maund, Botanist 5: pi. 246. 1846. 



Opzintia pes-corvi LeConte in Engelmann, Proc. Amer. Acad. 3: 346. 1856. 

 Opuntia frusttdenta Gibbes, Proc. Elliott Soc. Nat. Hist, i: 273. 1859. 



Plant prostrate or spreading, 2 dm. or less high, from thickened single or sometimes moniliform 

 roots; joints rather variable, narrowly linear to broadly oblong, with entire margins, sometimes 12 

 cm. long and 5 to 6 cm. broad, usually light green, sometimes darker about the areoles; leaves 2 to 



