48 



Owing to the fact that the plant produces a 

 large edible fruit, it has been widely cultivated 

 and distributed, and many varieties of it exist 

 in the Mediterranean countries. 



That it was introduced very early into this 

 region is evident from the writings of P. A. 

 Mattioli, who stated that the plant was called 

 an Indian fig because it was brought from the 

 West Indies (1570, p. 211), while in an Italian 

 edition of his work published apparently in 1604 

 it is remarked that the species was introduced 

 during his time, i.e., 1500-1577.* It may be 

 remarked here that in some of his editions the 

 figure indicates the presence of spines on the 

 plant, while in other editions the Opuntia is 

 drawn as if unarmed. He evidently knew both 

 the spiny and relatively spineless forms. 



It was seen either cultivated or growing 

 naturalised more or less commonly in the Frencli 

 and Italian Riviera; Spain (more particularly 

 in the southern portions, Andalusia, Granada, 

 Seville, Algeeiras, Gibraltar, &c.) ; Morocco 

 (Tangier) ; Algeria (along the coastal region) ; 

 Tunisia (less common); Malta; Lower Egypt; 

 and at Damascus in Syria. It was seen to be 

 present here and there all along the Mediter- 

 ranean coast of Italy from Mentone to Calabria, 

 and also throughout Sicily. In the latter region 

 0. ficus-indica is used quite commonly as a hedge 

 along the railway lines, and in localities, e.g., at 

 Mt. Pellerino, near Palermo, is very common, 

 even growing spontaneously. 



This species is cultivated not only for the 

 sake of its fruit, but also on account of its joints, 

 which are widely used as fodder for stock. 

 Owing to the importance of this plant one is not 

 surprised that the literature referring to it is 

 somewhat extensive. 



10. The Spiny Barbary Fig, 0. amyclcea, 

 Ten. (or perhaps more correctly, 0. ficus-indica, 

 var. amyclcea. Ten.). — This Opuntia is very wide- 

 spread in its distribution in the Mediterranean 

 and was seen, sometimes cultivated but more 

 usually either wild or growing as a hedge-plant, 

 in Southern Spain ; Italy (especially in Calabria 

 and Apulia) ; Sicily; Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia; 

 Beirut and other localities in Syria. It occurs 

 commonly in Cyprus, in Palestine (Jaffa, Haifa, 

 Acre, &e.) and in parts of Asia Mjinor (Smyrna). 

 Gennadius' account (1898) leaves little doubt 

 that the species found in Cyprus is 0. amyclcea. 

 In Tunisia and Morocco it is much more common 

 than ficus-indica, while along the coast of Syria 

 and Palestine it appears to be the only species 

 usually met with. Its wide distribution is 

 probably due partly to the presence of well- 

 developed spines which protect the plant from 

 most stock and make it a more suitable hedge- 

 plant, and partly to the fact that its fruit is 

 edible, being scarcely inferior to that of the 

 ordinary " Indian fig." 



The main difference which one can readily 

 recognise between these two species is the 

 presence of stars of Avhite spines on the joints of 

 0. amyclma, while 0. ficus-indica is almost 

 unarmed. The shape of the eladodes is practi- 

 cally the same, the flowers are similar and the 



* There is little doubt that various species of Cactacese 

 were introduced into Spain very shortly after the discovery 

 of the West Indies and adjacent parts of the mainland of 

 America, 



fruits very much alike at first sight, though m 

 amyclcea the last-mentioned are usually somewhat 

 smaller and possess more seeds. 



The Spaniards term this species the " Tuna 

 americana," while the Moors of Morocco gene- 

 rally use the name "Al hindi" for both species. 

 Sicilians know it as "Fico di India mascolmo," or 

 "Fico di India selvaggio." The Syrians use the 

 name "Sbyr" or "Sobbeyr" or else the French 

 term "Figue de Barbaric," no distinction being 

 made between the two kinds of prickly-pear. 



It has been mentioned above that this 

 Opuntia is regarded by many authors as being 

 merely a variety of the smooth- jointed Barbary 

 Fig. Though Mattiolus (1570, p. 211) had long 

 ago already distinguished these two kinds, it was 

 not until 1826 that Tinore (1826, p. 15) named 

 the spiny form as 0. amyclcea. Archangeli (1882, 

 p. 248), Labouret (1850, p. 468), and Schumann 

 (1899 b, p. 719) thought it a distinct species. 

 Cupano and Bonanno (quoted by Biuso, 1879, 

 p. 25) have named it 0. major, while Piori 

 (1896-8, p. 328) refers to it as his variety maxima 

 of 0. tuna, Linn. On the other hand A. Berger 

 (1903, p. 93) believes 0. amyclcea to be merely 

 a cultural variety of his 0. ficus-barbarica {i.e., 

 0. ficus-indica), a name which he has given 

 (1912) to the smooth- jointed Barbary Fig. 

 Berger 's view is supported by Biuso (1879, p. 24) 

 and by Eichlam (1910, p. 68).* 



It is a coincidence that in South Africa also 

 one meets with two common species side by side, 

 viz., the " Kaalblad " and the " Doornblad," 

 which have the same shape of joint and similar 

 flowers and fruits, but the former is practically 

 unarmed, while the latter is armed. Intermediate 

 forms may be seen, so that one is led to believe 

 either that there are two species capable of hybri- 

 dising, or else that there is one variable species, 

 the latter view being held by us in regard to the 

 South African prickly-pear. 



11. Nopalea cochinelifera is met with occa- 

 sionally in certain of the warmer parts of the 

 Mediterranean, e.g.. Southern Spain, in a more 

 or less cultivated condition. 



"While studying the rich collection of Cac- 

 tacese at La Mortola, certain prickly-pear plants 

 were observed which possessed characteristics re- 

 calling, those presented by the two commonest 

 species in Queensland. They were as follows : — t 



(1) "Opuntia, sp.— Cuba." This is 

 evidently identical with our common- 

 est Opuntia, 0. inermis. 



(2) "0. inermis, DC— Florida (Dr. J. N. 

 Rose)." The same remark applies to 

 this one also. 



(3) "0. inermis, DC. (Hort. MJortol., p. 

 411)— Mexico." 



(4) "0. tuna. West Indies." Evidently 

 the same as our 0. inermis. 



* The following observations by one of us (H.T.) may 

 be worth noting : — Though the spineless form almost 

 invariably grows true to type, both when propagated 

 from stem-joints and when raised from seed deposited by 

 birds, as on Mt. Pellerino, yet at La Favorita, Palermo, a 

 series of spine-bearing joints corresponding to the typical 

 O. amyclosa form were observed growing from discarded 

 eladodes of the spineless variety. 



t It must not be concluded that the name? used repre- 

 sent Mr. Berger's final conclusions regarding their nomen- 

 clature. 



