103 



is the type specimen of 0. airampo, Phil.,* a 

 species which Schumann (1899, p. 718) con- 

 sidered to be a synonym of O.tinermis.] They 

 are distinct though they bear certain resemblance 

 in their habit and in the characters of their fruit 

 and joints. The specimen of 0. airampo came 

 from Arequipa, Peru. The term '"airampo" is 

 applied by the inhabitants of parts of Peru, 

 Bolivia, Northern Argentina, and Northern 

 Chili to any Opuntia whose fruit possesses a red 

 juice. 



As Dr. Soehrens stated that Opuntias are 

 rarities in Chili, except in the extreme northern 

 part — a very arid region — the return journey to 

 Mendoza was made. Mendoza is situated at an 

 elevation of about 2,500 feet in an arid zone 

 which extends northwards along the Andean foot- 

 hills on the Argentine side. The whole of this 

 dry area contains an abundant flora belonging to 

 the Cactaceffi, especially to the genera Opuntia, 

 Echinocactus, Echinopsis, Cereus, and Pilocereus. 

 The more northern parts of the region are richer 

 in individual species, as may be seen from Dr. 

 Spegazzini's work (1905) on the Cactaceas of 

 Argentina and Uruguay. On the hills close to 

 the city, both 0. sidfurea, Gillies, and 0. {Teph- 

 rocactus) diademata are extremely common 

 (Schumann, 1899, pp. 692 and 745; Spegazzini, 

 1905, p. 518; p. 510). Besides these there are a 

 thin, semi-prostrate species of Cereus; an Echi- 

 nopsis ; a small Echinocactus ( IE. intricatis- 

 sima, Speg.) ; and two very common forms of 

 clumpy Cereus, one of which is probably C. hau.- 

 manni. Spegazzini (1905) mentions a large 

 number of species of Cereus and also Opuntia 

 (Tephrocactus) aoracantha as occurring in the 

 neighbourhood of Mendoza, some of them being 

 seen by us on the higher lands on the transandino 

 journey. 



On reaching Buenos Aires, it was found that 

 there was not sufficient time to allow of an 

 examination of the Opuntias occurring near Mon- 

 tevideo, in Uruguay. It is in that locality that 

 there occurs indigenously 0. aurantiaca, Gillies 

 (Spegazzini, 1905, p. 514), a plant which is the 

 notorious "jointed cactus" of Cape Colony, and 

 which has become naturalised near Roma and 

 Warwick, in Queensland. 



NORTH-BAST BRAZIL. 



The field investigations in Brazil were carried 

 out in two localities, Bomfin (Villa Nova) and 

 Barrinha ( Angico) , situated in the dry ' ' catmga 

 country in the State of Bahia and near the valley 

 of the San Francisco River. The following forms, 

 indicated by their local names on account of the 

 uncertainty of scientific indentification of some, 

 were met with at the latter place, cacti being 

 rather more abundant there than at the former. 



1. BspiNHA DE Sao Antonio (St. Anthony's 

 Thorn).— This Peireskia is also recorded for 

 Bahia by Schumann (1899, p. 760) under the 



* This name has been published in Schumann's mono- 

 graph as 0. acrampo, and it is under this latter name that 

 Mr. Maiden (1912) has referred to it when comparing it 

 with the pest pear of Queensland and New South Wales. 



t Schumann also includes both 0. striata, Haw., a 

 cultivated form, and 0. Icevis, Coulter, from Arizona as 

 synonyms of inermis. They are both distinct from it, 

 0. Btricta apparently being related to the group of species 

 which occur in North Eastern Argentina— e.gf., O- retrorsa 

 Speg., 0. ohahensis, Speg., &c. 0. mermis is a West 

 Indian plant (Cuba). 



name P. aculeata, Mill., with P. irasiliensis as a 

 synonym. As it is a Linnean species (Cactus 

 peireskta, L.) its name should be P. peireskia, a 

 combination used by Spegazzini (1905, p. 521) 

 m recording the occurrence of the plant in 

 Argentina. 



_ 2. Cabbca DE Prade (The Priest's Head).— 

 This plant is Melocactus depressus, Hook (Schu- 

 mann, 1899, p. 457), the names M. pentacentrus, 

 l^em., and M. goniodacanthus, Lem., being evi- 

 dently synonyms. M. oreas, Miq., should probably 

 also be included. 



3 Mandagabu de Facho.— a very tall tree- 

 like Cereus which somewhat resembles Cereus 

 perumanus in general appearance, and commonly 

 attains a greater height than any of the surround- 

 ing vegetation. The branches are practically 

 round, with numerous low ridges armed with 

 small spines. The term ' ' mandagaru ' ' is used for 

 tree-forms of Cereus in both localities visited. 



4. Mandagaru de Bol— This is also a tall 

 Oereus, but it is much commoner and appears to 

 be more widely distributed in the State of Bahia 

 than the preceding species. The stems are greyish 

 or greenish and have typically six ridges, each 

 ot whose areoles has one long and several short 

 spmes, the former reaching 6 inches in length. It 

 IS known simply as Mandagaru in Bomfin It 

 appears to be C. jamacaru, D.C. (Schumann, 

 1899, p. 112), whose specific name is said to be its 

 native name. 



5. Chiquechique Vbbdadeiro. — This Cereus 

 is a very spiny form reaching up to eight feet in 

 height, and whose stem bears nine ridges closely 

 beset with spines from one to nearly four inches 

 in length. It forms a clump whose individual 

 st'jit.s may lean over and become more or less 

 prostrate. It is more common at Bomfin than at 

 Angico. The term chiquechique is applied to 

 those species of Cereus, Pilocereus, &c., which do 

 not form trees. 



6. Caixa Cube; Chiquechique de Rabo de 

 Cachobra (The Dog-tail Chiquechique). — This 

 slender branching species of Cereus is known by 

 the former name in Angico and by the latter In 

 Bomfin, where it is much more common. Its 

 branches reach a length of 3 or 4 feet. 



7. At Angico there may be met with occa- 

 sionally a greyish, semi-prostrate, branching 

 Cereus resembling No. 6 in habit, but whose stem 

 is about an inch in diameter and bears three or 

 four prominent ridges with areoles about 1 V2 

 inches apart and bearing five or six long brown 

 spines. The tendency to form joints is quite 

 noticeable. There does not appear to be arjy 

 local name for this species. 



8. Chiquechique de R.vbo de Raposa (The 

 Fox-TAiii Chiquechique). — This species of 

 Cereus is also a semi-prostrate branching plant 

 possessing a diameter of li/^ to 2 inches, with 

 a jointed stem, the joints being separated by a 

 mass of rather long, red-brown spines. The 

 round stem bears numerous small ridges wliose 

 closely set areoles are well supplied with ,<raall 

 spines. It is rather thinner than the Caixa Cube. 

 I'he joints are capable of growth and remind 

 or.c a little of some of the Cylindropiintias. Its 

 appearance suggests Schumann's series " clava- 

 tae" of Opuntia, all of which are native.s ot 

 Mexico and the adjacent regions. This plant was 

 seen only at Angico. 



