43. 
stigmatibus 8 in capitulum congestis ; bacca obovata late umbilicata 
(sicca ?); seminibus magnis crassis subregularibus. ‘ 
On Williams’s River, the Colorado, and the Mojave, and down to 
the Gila: fl. April and May. — Habit very different from any other 
of our Opuntia ; the stout obovate or fan-shaped joints (5-8 inches 
long) originate from a common base, forming a sort of rosette. 
Leaves only one line long, 4-6 lines apart; pulvilli red-brown, 
somewhat immersed. Flower about 2} inches in diameter; ovary 
with 40 - 60 pulvilli. Fruit apparently dry, thereby RUDRORCLING the 
next section. Seed 3 lines in-diameter, 2 lines thick. 
Mr. Schott has observed, on the dividing ridge of the California 
ceesiaiis, west of the mouth of the Gila, and again in the Santa 
ley, Sonora, a very similar but suberect species, 3 feet 
high, spineless, inclined to assume a purplish hue, which he seems to 
have confounded with O. basilaris. Can it be O. rufida, or is it an 
undescribed species ? 
§ 6. Xerocarpee: diffuse: articuli suborbiculati vel tumidi: aculei 
plurimi: bacca sicca aculeolata: semina eburnea, magna, plerum- 
que latissime marginata. © 
*« Articuli compressi suborbiculati. 
22. O. nystricina, E. & B. 1. c.: diffusa; articulis obovato-orbi- 
culatis ; pulvillis subconfertis setas pallidas rutilasve gerentibus, omni- 
bus armatis ; aculeis 5—8 superioribus validis elongatis angulatis seu 
tortis patulis vel deflexis, inferioribus 5-7 gracilioribus radiantibus ; 
batca ovata aculeolata, umbilico planiusculo ; seminibus maximis. 
West of the Rio Grande, to the San Francisco mountains. — Joints 
3—4 inches long ; pulvilli 5-6 lines apart, unusually large ; longer 
spines 1} —3 and even 4 inches long, brownish ; lower radiating ones 
white, 4—9 lines long. Fruit an inch long; upper pulvilli with 4-6 
bristly spines. Seeds 3} lines in diameter, among the largest in this 
genus. 
« 23. O. Missouriensis, DC. (Cactus ferox, Nutt. Gen.) : Etat 
ta; articulis obovatis vel suborbiculatis tuberculatis ; foliis minutis ; 
pulvillis subconfertis stramineo-setosis, omnibus armatis; aculeis 5- 
10 exterioribus radiantibus setiformibus albidis, 1—5 interioribus ro- 
bustis albidis seu rufescentibus ; floris flavi intus aurantiaci ovario obo- 
vato vel subgloboso spinuloso; stigmatibus 5-10 viridibus; bacca 
Spinosa, umbilico plano ; seminibus magnis irregularibus. 
