nous, horizontal branches. The plant was here only 5 feet high, but grows about Santa Fe to the height of 8 or 10 feet, and continues to be found as far as Chihuahua and Parras. In the latter more favorable climate it grows to be a tree of 20 or 30, and perhaps even 40 feet high, as Dr. W. informs me, and offers a most beautiful aspect when covered with its large red flowers. It is evidently the plant which Torrey and James doubtfully, though incorrectly, refer to Cactus Bleo H. B. K. It is nearly allied to Opuntia furiosa, Willd., but well distinguished from it; and as it appears to be undescribed, I can give it no more appropriate name than O. arborescens,[1] the tree cactus, or Foconoztle, as called by the Mexicans, according to Dr. Gregg. The stems of the dead plant present a most singular appearance; the soft parts having rotted away, a net work of woody fibres remains, forming a hollow tube, with very regular rhombic meshes, which correspond with the tubercles of the living plant.
The first Mammillaria was also met with on Waggon-mound, a species nearly related to M. vivipara of the Missouri, and also to the Texan M. radiosa, (Engelm. in Plant. Lindh. inedit.,) but probably distinct from either. Mr. Fendler has collected the same species near Santa Fe.
On Wolf creek the curious and beautiful Fallugia paradoxa, Endl., looking like a shrubby Geum, was found in flower and fruit; also a (new?) species of Streptanthus, and an interesting Geranium, which I named G. pentagynum,[2] because of its having its five styles only slightly united at
- ↑ Opuntia arborescens, n. sp., caule ligneo erecto, ramis horizontalibus, ramulis cylindricis, tuberculatis aculeatissimis; areolis oblongis, brevissime tomentosis, aculeos 12 to 30 corneos, stramineo vaginatos teretes undique porrectos gerentibus; ramulis versus apicem floriferis; ovario tuberculato, tuberculis sub-20 apice sepala subulata et areolas tomentosas cum setis paucis albidis gerentibus; sepalis interioribus 10 to 13 obovatis; petalis obovatis, obtusis s. emarginatis; stigmatibus sub-8 partulis; bacca flava sicca, ovato-globosa, tuberculata, profunde umbilicuta.
Mountains of New Mexico to Chihuahua, Parras, and Saltillo; flowers in May and June; fruit, at least about Santa Fe, ripening the second year (Fendler;) in the north 5 to 10, south 20 and more feet high, 5 to 10 inches in diameter, last branches 2 to 4 inches long; spines of the specimens on Waggon-mound 20 to 30 in each bunch; further south only 12 to 20, generally fewer on the under side of the branchlets; spines horn-colored, with straw-colored loose sheaths, from 3 to 10 lines, generally about 6 lines long. Flowers purple, 3 inches in diameter; stamens red; fruit about 1 inch long, yellow.
- ↑ Geranium pentagynum, n. sp., perenne, caule erecto ramoso cum petiolis retrorso-piloso; foliis strigoso-pubescentibus inferioribus 7–, superioribus 3-5-partitis, segmentis inciso-lobatis; pedicellis binis, glanduloso pubescentibus; sepalis glandulosis, longe aristatis; petalis basi villo brevi instructis, ad venas pilosiusculis, obovatis integris; filamentis ciliatis; ovario glanduloso; stylis ima parte solum connatis; capsula glanduloso-pubescente.
On Wolf creek, flowers in June. Several stems 1 foot high from a large ligneous rhizoma; similar to G. maculatum, but easily distinguished from this and most other species by the styles being united only for 14 or 15 of their length; flowers of the same size, but aristæ of sepals much larger; leaves only 2 or 213 inches wide.
