Refugium Botanicun. | (September, 1869. 
TAB, 152. 
Natural Order CACTACES. 
Tribe OPUNTIE. 
Genus Rurpesauis, Gerin. 
R. rHomBEA (Pfief. Lab. Cact. p. 433). Caulibus diffusis articulatis 
copiose ramosis, articulis inferioribus triquetris angulis alatis, supe- 
rioribus foliiformibus complanatis duplo ad quadruplo longioribus 
quam latis viridibus omnino nudis profunde crenatis, basi cuneatis, 
nervo medio incrassato preeditis, floribus ex crenaturis solitariis, 
calycibus campanulatis lobis irregularibus rotundatis, petalis flavis 
calyce duplo longioribus. 
A native of Brazil. 
Stems attaining a height of two feet or more, copiously 
branched, the old ones gray and terete, those next in order 
green, triangular, without a wing, the next with a fleshy crenate 
wing to each of the three angles, the uppermost, which are either 
in opposite pairs or four or five springing from the last node, 
flattened out into a leaf-like expansion one to four inches long by 
one and a half inch to two inches broad, furnished with a distinct 
thickened midrib, the surface a moderate apple-green colour 
without any hairs or spines, the base cuneate, the edges cut a 
quarter or a third of the way down to the midrib into several 
broad blunt crenations. lowers quite sessile, springing singly 
from the hollows of the crenations. Calyx campanulate, con- 
fluent with the ovary, reddish brown, with several unequal 
rounded lobes. Petals pale yellow, obovate, concave, twice as 
long as the calyx, marcescent. Stamens indefinite. Stigmas 
four. 
Tab. 152.—1, separate flower, closed; 2, ditto expanded: both mag- 
nified—J. G. B. 
—_ 
An interesting species of a very remarkable genus of branched 
plants belonging to the Cactus family. It requires the tem- 
perature of a warm dry greenhouse, and should be grown in a 
mixture of turfy loam, peat and sand. The plant wants but little 
water, particularly in the winter season. It flowers very copiously, 
and when the branches are covered with their golden yellow blos- 
soms it has a very pleasing appearance. Of the source from 
whence I obtained this plant I have no note—W. W. S. 
