OPUNTIA DRUMMON'DI. 
DRUMMOND’S PRICKLY PEAR. 
EXOGEN^. 
OR 
DICOXyLEDONE/E. 
Natural division 
to which V 
this plant belongs, j 
1 
NATURAL ORDER, CACTACEiE. 
CALYCIFLORjE 
OF 
DECANDOLLE, 
Artificial divisions 
to which 
this Plant belongs. 
ICOSANDRIA, 
MONOGYNIA, 
OF LINNEUS. 
No. 246. 
GENUS. Opuntia. Tournefort. Calycis foliola plurima, foliacea,ovano 
adnata, summa plana, brevia. Corolla; superae petala plurima, obovata, basi 
connata, rotato-expansa. Stamina plurima, basi petalorum inserta, iisdem 
breviora; filaraenta libera vel nonnihil inter se connata; antherae oblongse. 
Ovarium inferum, nniloculare, placentis parietalibus, multi-ovulatis. Stylus 
cylindraceus, basi constrictus; stigma tri-octopartitum, laciniis crassis, erectis. 
Bacca ovoidea, apice umbilicato-tuberculata, saepe spinigera, unilocularis, 
pulposa placentis parietalibus nerviformibus. Semina plurima, reniformia. 
Embryonis subspiralis, albumen tenue cingentis cotyledones semicylindricae, 
germinatione foliaceae,radicula longa cylindrica. Frutices carnosi, articulati, 
in America calidiore tropica et extratropica indigeni, nonulli inter tropicos 
veteris orbis et in regionem Mediterraneum olim advecti,nunc quasi spontanei, 
trunco axi lignoso percurso ramisque cylindricis aut compressis, articulis 
oblongis vel ovatis, spinis beteracanthis, validis et setiformibus, in foliorum 
rudimentis subulatis mox caducis axillaribus, quincunciatim vel spiraliter 
dispositis, cujusvis fasciculi annue numero auctis, floribus e fasciculis spiniferis, 
vel articulorum marginibus ortis, albis, rubris, vel flavis, magnis, speciosis, 
staminibus saepe irritabilibus, baccis exignis vel magnis, viridibus, purpureis 
vel flavis, saepe ficiformibus, edulibus, secundo vel tertio anno demum matures- 
centibus. Enjdlicher : Genera Plantarum, p. 945. 
SPECIES. Opuntia Drummondi (GflAfi.) caule erecto, ramoso; articulis 
lineari oblongis, subcompressis, viridibus, junioribus foliosis, senioribus acu- 
leatis; foliis minimis, subulatis, carnosis, conniventibus; aculeis setaceis 
cumque 1-2 elongatis validis, stigmate 4partito. 
Character of the Genus, Opuntia Leaflets of the calyx 
numerous, adnate to the ovary, the upper flat, short. Corolla 
superior, petals numerous, obovate, connate at the base, spreading; 
Stamens numerous, inserted into the base of the petals, and shorter 
than them; filaments free, or slightly cohering; anthers oblong. 
Ovary inferior, one-celled, the placentae parietal, having many ovules. 
Style cylindrical, constricted at the base; stigma three to eight- 
parted, the segments thick, erect. Berry ovoid, umbilicately tuber- 
culated at the apex, often spiny, one-celled, pulpy, the parietal 
placentae nerve-like. Seeds numerous, kidney-shaped; albumen 
thin; embryo subspiral, cotyledons cylindrical, foliaceous in germin¬ 
ation ; radical long, cylindrical. Fleshy articulated shrubs, indigenous 
in the warmer tropical and extratropical parts of America, some long 
