OPUNTIA. 



171 



and numbers, at 3 years often 10 in number and some 6 cm. long, divergent, flattened, angular, 

 twisted; flowers dull dark-red in bud, with stigma protruding the day before the petals 

 spread, small, about 3 cm. in diameter when opened, petals 20 to 25 mm. long, slightly, when at all, 

 recurved, ribs of petals red and wings orange, filaments greenish below and pink above, style bright- 

 glossy red, stigma dull greenish red, 4-parted, equaling the petals in length; ovary small, subglobose, 

 deeply pitted, 15 to 17 mm. in diameter, with small subcircular to slightly transversely elongated, 

 dirty brown areoles, 4 mm. apart; fruit small, subglobose, red." 



Type locality: State of Oaxaca, Mexico. 



Distribution: Known only from type locality. 



Our examination of the type specimen of this species shovi^ed that it is closely related 

 to Opuntia macdougaliana, differing in the color of its petals, which may not be a specific 

 character. 



Opuntia macdougaliana 



187. Opuntia macdougaliana Rose, Smiths. Misc. Coll. 50: 516. 1908. 

 Opuntia niicrarthra Griffiths, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 23: 130. 1913. 



Plant about 4 meters high, with a distinct cylindric trunk branching from near the base; joints 

 oblong, 30 cm. long by 8 to 10 cm. broad, softly pubescent; areoles distinct, small; spines generally 4, 

 one much longer (2.5 to 4 cm. long), somewhat flattened, yellowish, becoming whitish in age; 

 glochids short, numerous, yellow; fruit globular to oblong, 5 cm. long, the surface divided into 

 diamond-shaped plates, red, with a broad deep cup at apex, the numerous small rounded areoles 

 filled with clumps of yellow glochids, very rarely with one or two spines. 



Type locality: Near Tehuacan, Mexico. 

 Distribution: Southern Mexico. 



Figure 209 is from a photograph of the type plant taken by Dr. MacDougal at Bl Riego, 

 Tehuacan, Mexico, in 1906; figure 210 represents a plant grown from a cutting of the type. 



