VIIl. 



7. 0. imhricata, Haw.-This is a Cylindropuntia, one of the so-called cane- 

 cacti, whose habitat is Northern Mexico and the adjacent dry, and, regions ot 

 the United States, It occurs naturalised at Laidley. 



8. Opuntia, sp. (?) 0. megacantha, SD. or 0. chavena, Griff. —This large 

 jointed, white-spined prickly-pear is known as the "Westwood pear, and is to 

 be met with in the Rockhampton District. It is a Mexican species, and is 

 related to the pest pear of South Africa, as well as that found in the Hawauan 

 Islands. 



There is another Opuntia in the Rockhampton area which closely resembles 

 this one and is perhaps identical with it. 



9. Another white-spined Opuntia occurs near Rockhampton, where it is 

 caUed the " yellow-fruiting Mexican pear." This species, which is of Mexican 

 origin, is very like the spiny pest pear of South Africa, and resembles the 

 spiny Barbary fig or Indian fig (0. amydcea) of the Mediterranean coasts. 



Mr, Maiden has recorded the occurrence in Queensland of two other 

 prickly-pears, viz, : — 



10. 0. nigricans, Haw, ; and 



11. Nopalea dejecta, S.D. The former, which is found at Yelarbon, is 

 indigenous to certain parts of Brazil, while the latter, which is reported from 

 Rockhampton, is regarded as being a native of Cuba, though perhaps Mexico 

 is its true home. 



New South Wales possesses— (1) 0. inermis, DC, var, ; (2) O. nigricans. 

 Haw, ; (3) 0. monacantha. Haw, ; and (4) 0. ficus indica as well as (5) 0. micro- 

 dasys, Lehm, The lastnamed belongs to the drier parts of Mexico. 



O. monacantha occurs naturalised in Victoria and South Australia, and the 

 spiny pest pear of Queensland is also reported from the latter State. 



THE PRICKLY-PEARS NATURALISED IN OTHER COUNTRIES 



VISITED. 



The pest species in Northern Ceylon is 0. dillenii. Haw., while in India 

 there is, in addition to this one, 0. nigricans, the former being especially prevalent 

 in the Presidency of Madras, the latter in Bombay and Central India. Both 

 occur in Northern India, but are not sufficiently beyond control to constitute 

 pests, 0. stricta, or a very closely related species, occurs fairly commonly in the 

 Punjab, 0. monacantha was formerly abundant in India and Ceylon but has 

 been practically exterminated there by the action of a wild cochineal insfect. 

 Coccus indicus, Green. 



In South Africa the pest species are the " doornblad " variety of 0. 

 decumana, and the " jointed cactus," 0. aurantiaca. O. monacantJux is also 

 widely spread, but is controlled by the dry climate and by the action of another 

 wild cochineal insect, Coccus confusus capensis, Green. Several other opuntias 

 are naturalised there but are not yet a menace. 



In the Canary Islands, certain species are still cultivated as host plants 

 for the true cochineal insect Coccus cacti, Linn, {Dactylopius coccus, Costa). 



In the Mediterranean region many species are naturalised, two of them 

 being regarded as being of considerable economic importance. These are the 

 two kinds of Indian or Barbary fig, 0. ficus indica. Mill, and 0. amyclea, Ten,, 

 which may perhaps be only varieties of one species. 0. dillenii, though not 

 especially abundant in any one locality, is widely distributed in the coastal areas. 

 Some species are locally prevalent, e.g., 0. inermis, DC, in the Balearic Islands, 

 and 0. nana, Vis, ( = 0. opuntia, L,) in parts of the Tyrol, Switzerland, and 

 Dalmatia. 



