1^6 THE CACTACEAE. 



at the base, glabrous; areoles few, only about 12 on each side of a joint, distant, large, nearly cir- 

 cular, S to 10 mm. broad, slightly elevated, bearing many short glochids, but quite spineless; leaves 

 subulate, about 3 mm. long; ovar>' obconic, 3 to 4 cm. long, bearing a few small areoles; sepals 

 broadly triangular, acute, 6 to 10 mm. long; petals broad, rounded, i to 2 cm. long, orange-red. 



Distribution: Sandy places, Andalgala, Catamarca, Argentina, J. A. Shafer, December 

 15, 1916 (Xo. 7). 



A spineless species noteworthy for its few, large, distant areoles. We append it to 

 the series Elatiores, but are uncertain as to its real affinity. The large distant areoles 

 forbid associating it with the Fiais-indicae or the Streptacanihae. 



Figure 195 represents a joint of the type specimen. 



Series 13. ELATAE. 



Erect, tall species, natives of South America, with oblong or oval joints, the brown or white 

 spines, when present, only one or few at each areole, except on the trunk and old joints. 



Key to Species. 



Joints ovate to broadly oblong or obovate. 



Joints t±in, lustrous, light green 164. O. vulgaris 



Joints turgid, dull green. 



Leaves purplish, rigid; joints dark green 165. O. data 



Leaves green, not rigid; joints pale green. 



Spines slender, terete 166. O. cardiosperma 



Spines stout, angled, elongated 167. O. arecliavaletai 



Joints narrowlv oblong to linear or spatulate. 



Joints oblong to linear; flowers brick-red 168. 0. mieckleyi 



Joints spatulate; flowers orange 169. O. bonaerensis 



164. Opuntia vulgaris ^Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8. Xo. i. 176S. 



Cactus monacanthos Willdenow, Enum. PL Suppl. 33. 1813. 

 Opuntia monacantha Haworth, Suppl. PI. Succ. 81. 1819. 

 Cactus urumheba Vellozo, FI. Flum. 207. 1825. 

 Cactus indicus Roxburgh, Fl. Indica 2: 475. 1832. 

 Cactus chinensis Roxburgh, Fl. Indica 2: 476. 1832. 

 Opuntia monacantha gracilior Lemaire, Cact. Gen. Nov. Sp. 68. 1839. 

 ■ Opuntia umbrella Steudel, Xom. ed. 2. 2: 222. 1841. 



Opuntia roxburghiaiw Xoigt, Hort. Suburb. Calcutt. 62. 1845. 



Opuntia monacantha deflexa Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1849. 66. 1850. 



Opuntia lemaireana Console in Weber, IDict. Hort. Bois 894. 1898. 



Plant 2 to 4 or even 6 meters high, often with a definite trunk, usually with a large much 

 branched top; trunk cylindric, 1.5 dm. in diameter, either spiny or smooth; joints ovate to oblong, 

 narrowed at base, i to 3 dm. long, bright shining green; leaves subulate, 2 to 3 mm. long; areoles 

 filled with short wool; glochids brownish; spines i or 2, sometimes more (on the trunk often 10 or 

 more) from an areole, erect, i to 4 cm. long, yellowish brown to dark reddish brown ; flowers yellow 

 or reddish, 7.5 cm. broad; sepals broad, each with a broad red stripe down the middle; petals golden- 

 yellow, widely spreading; filaments greenish; style white; stigma-lobes 6, white; ovarj- spineless, 

 3.5 cm. long; fruit obovoid, 5 to 7.5 cm. long, reddish purple, long-persisting, sometimes proliferous. 



Type locality: Type, based on an illustration, the origin unknown. 



Distribution : Coast and islands of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina ; in the interior to 

 Paraguay; an escape in Cuba, India, and south Africa and naturalized in AustraUa; fre- 

 quently cultivated. According to J. H. INIaiden it is found in every state of Australia, but 

 it is not incUned to spread and become a pest. 



As has been recently pointed out by Burkill, the Opuntia vulgaris of IMiller is the same 

 as 0. juonacantlia Haworth. 0. vulgaris was based on Bauhin's figure (Hist. PI. i: 154. 

 1650), which was taken from LobeHus (Icones 2: 241. 159 1), and is a tall, branching plant. 

 This species is not to be confused with the low, spreading species of the eastern United 

 States, long known as 0. vulgaris. (See. p. 127.) 



This species is said by Burkill to be distributed over the earth more widely than any 

 other, but our obser\-ation in America is that O.ficus-indica is by far the most widely 

 spread species. 



