ex. FICOIDB^, 461, 



Cactete are all American ; a UMpsalis has, however, recently been discoyered on the west coast of 

 Arriea [and in Ceylon]. They are especially tropical, but many are found beyond the tropical zone, and 

 as far north as 49°, and south to 30° ; they abound in Texas, Mexico and California. It is in the Sonora 

 in the environs of Gila, that we find the most gigantic Cacti (Cereus giganteus), resembling candelabra of 

 50 to 60 feet high. 



Opuntia vulgaris is now naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, where its fruit is eaten 

 under the name of Indian Fig ; its taste recalls that of a pumpkin, and its pulp contains a gelatinous 

 principle analogous, to gum tragacanth. The berries of several Cacte.ce are sub-acid, and hence refreshing, 

 antibilious and antiscorbutic. The milky juice of some species is administered in America for intestinal 

 .worms. A decoction of the flowers of Melocaotw communis is a reputed remedy for syphilis. The 

 fruit of Opuntia vulgaris is diuretic, and colours urine of a deep red; its joints are applied as a topic to 

 hasten the maturing of tumours. It is on this species and its congeners, known as Prickly Pear, and 

 cultivated in Mexico and the Canaries, that the Cochineal insect lives — an hemipterous insect, much 

 employed in the arts in the composition of carmine, crimson lake, and a dye called Cochineal red. 



ex. FICOIDE^} 



[Anjiual or perennial heebs, rarely Sheubs, with often whorled and knotted 

 brandies. Leaves opposite, alternate, or in false whorls, entire or with cartilaginous 

 margins and teeth ; stipules or scarious. Flowees g , usually cymose, rarely 

 unisexual, regular. Caltx free or adnate to the ovary, 4-5-lobed or -divided, 

 persistent, imbricate in bud. Petals or small and white, large in Mesemiiryan~ 

 themum. Stamens perigynous, rarely hypogynous, equal in number to and opposite 

 the sepals, or more numerous and scattered, or combined in fascicles ; filamemts free 

 or connate ; anthers oblong, 2-eened, dehiscence longitudinal. Disk 0, or annular, 

 or produced into staminodes. Ovaet usually free, 2-oo -celled, rarely 1-celled ; 

 styles as many as the cells, free or connate, usually 'subulate and papillose on the 

 inner surface ; ovules solitary in the cells and basal, or numerous and inserted on 

 the inner angles of the cells, amphitropous. Feuit a membranous or hard capsule, 

 or achene or drupe, or separating into utricles or cocci. Seeds solitary or 

 numerous, reniform, ovoid, globose or obovoid ; testa membranous or crustaceous, 

 hilum lateral or rarely facial ; albumen scanty or copious, farinaceous, rarely fleshy. 

 Embeto cvirved round the albumen, terete ; cotyledons narrow, incumbent; radicle 

 terete. 



Teibb I, Mesembetanthb,s). — Calyx adnate to the ovary. Leaves exstipulate. Mesem- 

 hrijanihenmin, Tetragonia. 



Teibe II. AizoiDEj!. — Calyx-tnbe more or less elongate, free. Stamens perigynous, 

 inserted on the calyx- tube, rarely sub-hypogynous. Fruit capsular. Aizoon, Oatenia, Seswuvwm, 

 Trianthema, &o. 



Teibe III. MoLLUGiNE,a!. — Calyx 6-partite. Petals 3-5 or 0. Stamens hypogynous or 

 sub-perigynous. Fruit capsular, or of 3-5 cocci. Orygia, TelepMvm,, Mollugo, Ph,arnaceiim, 

 Gisehia, S&monvillea, Limemn, &o. 



' [I have introduced this order here to show the distribution of the genera adopted in the ' Genera Plantarum,' 

 but which are variously disposed by botanists ; it includes most of the SHcoidecs of Jussieu, as also Mesembryanthemeee. 

 Endl. (p. 462), Portulaoere, Endl. in part (p. 269), Tetragoniem, Lindl. (p. 464), and Mollvginece, Lindl. (p. 261). — Ed.] 



