OPUNTIA. l8l 



Type locality: In America. 



Distribution: Known only in cultivation. 



Opuntia maxima Miller was described as the largest of all the opuntias and as the 

 name is older than any of those here cited, it is taken up for this species. Haworth was 

 uncertain whether or not his 0. decumana is distinct from Miller's 0. maxima, although 

 in the Index Kewensis the two are considered the same ; Burkill considered them distinct, 

 but his idea of 0. decumana is the 0. ficus-indica type. Mr. Berger, on the other hand, 

 states that it is evidently of the 0. dillenii group, but this is hardly warranted by the descrip- 

 tion. Berger is convinced that 0. elongata is distinct from 0. decumana. 



Opuntia labouretiana macrocarpa (Cat. Darrah Succ. Manchester 55. 1908) is only a 

 garden name. 



Plate XXXIV, figure 2, represents a flowering joint of a plant presented to the New 

 York Botanical Garden by Frank Weinberg in 1901, which bloomed in May 191 6. Fig- 

 ure 220 is from a photograph of the same plant. 



Opuntia bartramii Rafinesque (Atl. Journ. i: 146. 1832) is based on Bartram's de- 

 scription (Travels p. 163. 1790), in which he states that the plant is 7 to 8 feet high; joints 

 very large, bright green, glossy; spines none; glochids numerous; flowers large, yellow; 

 fruit pear-shaped, purple. It was found about 6 miles from Lake George, northern Florida, 

 associated with Zamia pumila and Erythrina. We do not know of any Opuntia answering 

 the description, growing in Florida at the present time. Dr. Small visited the type 

 locality in 191 8 but failed to find any plant answering Rafinesque's description. 



Opuntia hernandezii De Candolle (Mem. Hist. Nat. Paris 17 : 69. pi. 16. 1828) is a com- 

 plex. The reference to Hernandez applies to Nopalea cochenillijera. Schumann was not 

 able to identify the plant illustrated by De Candolle, but thought it might be referable to 

 Opuntia ficus-indica, in which we agree. 



Series 21. STREPTACANTHAE. 



Tall, branched, glabrous, green species with white or faintly yellow, acicular or subulate spines, 

 large yellow or red flowers, and fleshy fruits, natives of Mexico and Central and South America. 

 We recognize twelve species. The fruits, known as tunas, are mostly edible and are sold in large 

 quantities in Mexican markets, a practice which probably dates from prehistoric time. The long- 

 continued selection of plants for their fruit has perpetuated many slightly differing races. 



Key to Species. 



Spines short, 5 mm. to 8 cm. long. 

 Joints scarcely if at all tuberculate. 



Joints obovate to elliptic, mostly not more than twice as long as wide. 



Areoles close together, sunken 201. O. spinulifera 



Areoles not close together, not sunken. 

 Joints dull. 



Spines acicular 202. O. lasiacantha 



Spines subulate. 



Areoles with 2 or more short reflexed hairs or bristles at the lower part 

 of the areoles. 



Spines strongly depressed; areoles with several hairs 203. O. hypliacantha 



Spines not strongly depressed; areoles with i or 2 hairs. 



Joints obovate 204. O. streptacanlha 



Joints oblong 205. 0. amyclaea 



Areoles without reflexed hairs or bristles. 



Spines clear white, terete or nearly so; fruit spineless, 6 to 8 cm. long, 



yellow, edible 206. O. megacantha 



Spines white to dull yellow, somewhat flattened; fruit 6 cm. long or 

 less bearing a few spines near the top, red, not edible. 

 Plant with a definite trunk; petals reddish; fruit spiny only at top 207. 0. deamii 

 Plant bushy; petals chocolate-colored; fruit spiny all over. . . . 207a. dobbieana 



Joints shining 208. 0. eichlamii 



Joints oblong to oblanceolate, some of them much longer than wide. 



Joints shining; wool of young areoles white; petals yellow 209. 0. inaequilateralis 



Joints dull; wool of young areoles brown; petals deep orange to scarlet 210. O. pittieri 



Joints strongly tuberculate 211. O. cordobensis 



Spines elongated, 10 to 14 cm. long 212. O. quimilo 



