Opmtia.] XLI. CACTE^. 247 



111. 223). Called Opuntia Ficus Indica by Visiani and Gussone, 0. vulgaris 

 by Tenore. Webb calls Ficus Indica the principal species in the Canaries, but 

 Lowe refers this and the Madeira Opuntia to Opuntia Tuna, Haw. {Cactus 

 Tuna, Linn.) Whatever the correct name for the Opuntia on those islands may 

 be, it is important to state that this is the species employed in the Canaries for 

 raising CocMneal. The first introduction of the insect 30 or 40 years ago was 

 violently opposed by the country people, especially in Teneriffe, on the ground 

 of its rendering the Tuneras, or plants of Opuntia, barren, and injuring the 

 crops of their favourite fruit, called Figos, which are much used, both fresh 

 and dried, Lowe 1. c. 316. 



b. 0. amt/ctea, Tenore 1. 0. 240 ; M. Neap. t. 236. Stature of 0. i^MMS J«(^ica, 

 with 4-6 stout, divergent, unequal, whitish spines on each tuft, angular at 

 the base, orange-coloured flowers, and smaller, hardly eatable fruit. Dalmatia, 

 South Italy, SicUy, the Canaries. Webb 1. c. caUs this sp. 0. Turm, MiU., but 

 Lowe refers it to the Indian species 0. Dillenii, Haw. ; and the specimens in 

 Hb. Kew from the Canaries (coU. Bourgeau) seem to confirm this view. Tenore 

 figures, Gussone and Visiani describe their plant as having very short, nearly 

 obsolete tufts at the base of the spines ; whereas the specimens from the 

 Canaries have a thick tuft of woolly hairs. The spines of these specimens are 

 more angular than those of the Indian Opuntia, and somewhat transparent 

 along their entire length. The identity, therefore, of the Indian Opuntia with 

 the spinesoent kind of South Europe and the Canaries is a matter for farther 

 inquiry. Lowe describes his plant with yellow flowers tinged with red outside. 



c. 0. nana, Visiani (0. vulgaris, MiU. in Koch Synops. M. Germ. 291), is a 

 small spinesoent plant, the joints only a few inches long, not erect, but diffuse, 

 leaning against rocks, found in Dalmatia and the warmer valleys of Tyrol and 

 Switzerland. 



The Cochineal insect in Mexico and other parts of Central America lives on 

 several Opuntias nearly allied to those here described. As stated above, its in- 

 troduction has been successful on Teneriffe, and there it thrives on a species 

 closely related to the Indian one. Wight (lU. ii. p. 50), and Eoyle (lU. p. 223), 

 describe the steps that have been taken to encourage its cultivation in India. 

 Some Cochineal has been produced in India, and though the price of the article 

 has diminished of late, it may yet become a matter of some importance in the 

 drier districts of the country. 



Oedbr XLII. ARALIACE.aE. 



Erect or climbing slirubs or trees, rarely herbs, with alternate simple 

 or compound leaves. Mowers regular, umbellate, or capitate. Calyx 

 adnata to ovary, limb short, entire toothed or lobed. Petals generally 

 5, very deciduous, valvate or slightly imbricate in bud. Stamens as 

 many as petals, rarely numerous ; filaments inflexed ; anthers didymous, 

 versatile. Disk epigynous. Ovary 2- or more-celled, 1 ovule in each 

 cell. Fruit a drupe or berry, with 1 or more 1 -seeded cells. - Seed pen- 

 dulous: testa membranous; albumen dense, fleshy; embryo minute, 

 ovoid or oblong.— Gen. PL i. 931 ; Wight lU. ii. 60 ; Eoyle lU. 233. 



Soft-wooded Araliaceous shrubs and small trees, often scandent or epi- 

 phytic, are not uncommon in the tropical forests of India. Within the 

 range of this Flora they are not numerous, and it wiU suffice to mention a 

 few, hesides the Ivy, as representative forms. 



