59 



OPUNTIA WHIPPLEI E. & B. 



Opuntia tetracantha Tourney. 



§Cylindropuntia. "An irregularly 



branching shrub 6-15 dm high; primary 

 branches erect or ascending from a stout 

 woody trunk 5-8 cm in diameter, and 



bearing numerous short, lateral branch- 

 es at irregular intervals; ultimate branch- 

 es 12-15 mm in diameter; joints cylindri- 

 cal, 25-30 cm long, with a reticulated 

 woody skeleton; tubercles at first promi- 

 nent, 16-22 mm long, but on old stems 

 more or less inconspicuous; pulvini spar- 

 ingly covered with wool and bearing a 

 small crescent-shaped tuft of light brown 

 bristles at the upper margin; spines usu- 

 ally 4, stout, loosely sheathed, straw- 

 colored, strongly deflexed, flattened, 2- 

 3.5 cm long, occasionally 1 or 2 smaller 

 ones, not increasing in size and number 

 after first season's growth; glands con- 

 spicuous, a half dozen or more between 

 the spines and bristles; flowers greenish 

 purple, 1.5-2 cm broad; fruit ovate to 

 subglobose, narrowly but deeply umbili - 

 cate, 2-25 cm long, juicy, scarlet, usual- 

 ly nearly smooth, but sometimes some 

 of the pulvini bearing 1-3 strong deflex- 

 ed spines; seeds irregular, 3-5 mm in 

 diameter, commissure broad, with con- 

 spicuous spongy appearance." — Tourney 

 Garden and Forest 9: 432 (28 N 1896). 



"An interesting species of Cylindro- 

 puniia grows in considerable abundance 

 about 5 miles east of Tucson, but, so far 

 as known, only in this one locality. It 

 seems to be nearest related to Opuntia 

 Thurberi E., but differs from that plant, 

 so far as one can judge from the incom- 

 plete description and examination of 

 type material in the Engelmann herba- 

 rium, in its longer more strongly de- 

 flexed spines, smaller and different-col- 

 ored flowers, etc. It may be known 

 from all related species by its bright 

 scarlet fruit, 4 strongly deflexed spines 

 and pecu'iar cork-like margin to the 

 seeds. This plane and O. leptocaulis 

 are the only Opuntias with which I am 

 familiar that produce small lateral bran- 

 ches no larger than the fully developed 

 fruits, the function of which seems to be 

 to drop to the ground and deve'op into 

 new plants. The fruit matures in Dec, 

 but remains attached to the plant until 

 the following May. It has an agreable 

 acid flavor and its bright color makes it 

 very conspicuous against the green 

 stems." — Tourney I.e. 



Cacti.— Orcutt 



60 



This is probably O. Stanlyi, of which 

 the following description is all that is 

 known:— 'Opuntia? Oct. 22, 1846. Abun- 

 dant on the Del Norte and Gila. A re- 

 markable plant, apparently more like a 

 Mamillaria than like an Opuntia. The 

 fruit is also represented without areolae 

 or tubercles, exactly like the smooth 

 fruit of a Mamillaria; but this may be an 

 oversight of the artist. The habit of the 

 plant suggests the belief that it is an 

 Opuntia of the section Cylindracese. 

 Joints or branches ascending, cylindri- 

 cal, tuberculated, 4-6 inches long, 1-1^4' 

 inches in diameter; tubercles very prom- 

 inent, with about 8 long (1-13^2 inches) 

 straight spines; fruit obovate, umbilicate, 

 scarlet, towards the top of the branches, 

 about 9 lines long and 6 in diameter. It 

 is a distinct species, which I am gratified 

 to dedicate to the skilful artist who has 

 drawn all these figures, —Mr. J. M. Stan- 

 ly." — E in Emory r 158 f 9. 



Subgenus PLATOPUNTIA E.— "Joints 

 compressed ; rhaphe forming a prominent 

 bony margin around the seed; embryo 

 completing- a little more than one circle 

 around the scanty albumen; cotyledons 

 contrary to the sides of the seed."— E. 



OPUNTIA ANGUSTATA E. & B. 

 OPUNTIA ARENARIA Engelm. 

 OPUNTIA AURANTIACA Ui .1. 

 OPUNTA BASILARIS tungelm. 

 Variety RAMOS A Parish. 

 OPUNTIA BECKERIANA KS. 

 OPUNTEA CAMANCHICA E-B. 

 OPUNTIA CANDELABRAFORMIS 



Mart. 

 OPUNTIA CHLOROTICA Engelm. 

 OPUNTIA CRASSA Haw. 

 OPUNTIA CRINIFERA Pf. 

 OPUNTIA DECUMBENS S. 

 OPUNTIA DULC1S Engelm. 

 OPUNTIA ENGELMANNI Slm-Dyck. 

 OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA Mill. 

 OPUNTIA FILIPENDULA E. 

 OPUNTIA FOLIOSA S. 

 OPUNTIA FULVISPINA Slm-Dyck. 

 OPUNTIA FUSCOATRA K. 

 OPUNTIA GADAPAGEIA Hensl. 

 OPUNTIA GLAUCESCENS S. 

 OPUNTIA GLAUCOPHYLLA Wendl. 

 OPUNTIA GRANDIS Hort. 

 OPUNTIA HTSTRICINA E-B. 

 OPUNTIA HYPTIACANTHA Web. 

 OPUNn I A INAMOENA KS. 

 OPUNTIA INEEM1S PEC. 

 OPUNTIA LANCEOLATA Haw. 

 OPUNTIA JvARREYI Weber. 



"Plant only 9-12 dm high, with large or- 

 bicular glaucous joints; fruit 'as large as 

 a goose egg', juicy, nulny, and with pur- 

 ple pulp; seec's small 'much liks those of 

 O. ficus indica'. Type unknown. A Mex- 

 ican srecies, found by Dr. Weber about 

 Queretiaro, and pronounced by him the 

 most delicious of a.l the fruits he had 

 tasted. Known as 'camuessa'. — Coulter, 

 Cont Na hb 3:423. 



