156 The Tuna. 



varieties or more are found naturalized around the California 

 Missions, called the tuna, tuna Colorado (red tuna), tuna manse 

 (tame tuna) respectively by the inhabitants of Mexico. They are 

 extensively cultivated in Mexico for their fruits, and a great variety 

 of forms occur in that, their native country. Dr. Edward Palmer, a 

 noted botanical explorer, has contributed an interesting article on 

 opuntia fruit as an article of food to the West American Scientist 

 (VI 67), which has been widely quoted and is reprinted in the annual 

 report of the California State Board of Horticulture for 1890, page 

 133, and elsewhere. In the same report is given a plate illustrating 

 the fruit of the tuna Colorado and the tuna manse, and also of the 

 wild tuna (opuntia engelmanni). See engravings used herewith. 



Gerald Hastings {American Garden XI, 475) says: 'Several 

 species of opuntia, particularly O. tuna, yield the red, green or 

 yellow fruits known as prickly pears. These are sweet and juicy 

 and extensively used as dessert by the Mexicans and inhabitants of 

 Southern Europe. Their juice is used as a water-color at Naples, 

 and for coloring confectionery in the West Indies. 



opuntia ficus indica— Haworth. 



'During the eighteenth century Mr. Philip Miller, of Chelsea 

 Gardens, England, brought several cacti into notice, at least eight 

 being credited to him and described in his Gardeners' Dictionary in 

 addition to those already known. Martyn's edition of Miller's Gar- 

 deners' Dictionary enumerates among others, Cactus ficus indica 

 and C. tuna. Not having access to the above works, I am unable to 

 learn with any degree of certainty as to the characteristics of the 

 types of these species. Apparently the most reliable description 

 accessible to me is in Forster's 'Cacteen,' of which the following is a 

 free translation: 



'Native of South America, cultivated south of the Bio Grande 

 under the name Nopal castillano; naturalized in Italy and Sicily; 

 tall, broad-spreading plant, with a cylindrical, woody, thick stem 

 when old (up to 45 cm. long and 30 cm. broad in size), green, thick 

 (2 l 4 cm.), thinner on the edge, elliptical, with small reddish leaves; 

 areolae regularly distributed, sunken, thornless or rarely covered 

 with a few single, small, bristly, white spines. Flowers large, brim- 

 stone yellow. Fruit very large and edible. Grown in large quanti- 

 ties in Sicily for its delicious fruit. Four varieties, with yellowish, 

 blood-red, whitish and seedless fruit respectively, the two latter 

 considered the best.' 



The tuna Colorado naturalized at the old Mission of San Diego, 

 which I take to be a type of O. ficus indica, produces a rather insipid 

 fruit not very sweet, mealy, closely resembling in taste and flavor a 

 frozen apple. The color is a crimson lake inside and out, the epider- 

 mis slightly dulled by a glaucous blush. Seeds numerous, over 200, 

 easily separated from the pulp. The fruit is ovate, 3>£ inches long, 



