iiS 



THE CACTACEAE. 



Fig. 146. — Opuntia depressa, in the foreground. 



Series 5. BASILARES. 



We recognize eiglit species as forming this series. Thej^ are low or bushj^, much branched 

 plants, with flat, thin, broad joints, the areoles small, usuall}" numerous and close together. 



Key to Species. 



Joints papillose, not pubescent. 



Fruit juicy, red 107. 0. luhrica 



Fruit dr\- or nearly dr^- loS. O. treleasei 



Joints mostly manifestly pubescent. 

 Spines none or few. 



FloTvers red 109. 0. basHaris 



Flowers yellow to orange. 

 Joints bright green. 



GlocMds long 1 10. O. microdasys 



Glochids short iii. 0. macrocalyx 



Joints grayish green 112. 0. rufida 



Spines ver>' numerous. 



Areoles close together 113. 0. pycnantha 



Areoles distant 114. O. ccnnonduensis 



107. Opuntia lubrica Griffiths, Rep. Mo. Bot. Gard. 21 : 169. 1910. 



"A low ascending, spreading species vers' similar in habit to 0. microdasys, frequently 4?^ dm. 

 high and when weU developed 10 dm. or more in diameter; joints sub-circular to obovate, about 15 

 by 20 cm., or in case of last joints of pre-\-ious year about 12 by 15 cm., bright, glossy, leaf -green, very 

 e^■idently papillate but scarcely pubescent under a lens; leaves subulate, cuspidate-pointed, 6 to 9 

 mm . in length; areoles 15 to 22 mm. apart, 4 to 6 mm. in diameter, sub-circular, prominent; spicules 

 prominent, 4 to 5 mm. in length, erect, bushy, in crescentic tufts in upper portion of areoles, becom- 

 ing much more numerous in age, and at 2 to 4 years completely filling the areole, and, like 0. rufida 

 and some other species, becoming very abtmdant and conspicuous by proliferation of areolar tissue 

 into short raised or columnar structures ; spines exceedingly variable, sometimes nearly absent, again 

 quite abundant and irregularly distributed, none to many, mostly i to 3, becoming more numerous 

 ■^vith age and in scattering areoles to as high as 1 6, mostly about 1 2 mm. long, but sometimes 2 J/2 cm., 

 yeUowish, translucent, bonelike, sometimes darker at base; fruits decidedl)- acid, light red without 

 with 3-ellowish green rind and red pulp; seed small, thin shelled, about 3 mm. in diameter." 



Type locality: Xear Alonzo, ^Mexico. 

 Distrihiition: Known onh- from the t}-pe locality. 



