Opuntiads of the USA

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Opuntia atrispina Griffiths 1910

(Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden 21: 172-173, pl. 26 [lower figure]. 1910. )

[Quoted from the original description]

Opuntia atrispina sp. nov.

Plant 7 to 10 dm. high and 12 to 15 dm. in diameter or often smaller, the main branches spreading with edges on the ground or ascending, the secondary branches mostly erect; joints obovate, rounded above to sub-circular, mostly slightly raised at areoles, about 11 by 15 cm. and 1 cm. thick, yellowish green; areoles obovate, or on young joints mostly elongated and raised below, about 5 mm. long and 25 mm. apart; spicules yellow, prominent, unequal, occupying a large triangular area in upper part of the areole, but finally scattered throughout its entire area but more numerous above, 6 to 12 mm. long, increasing with age; spines jet black to reddish brown at base with yellow tips, the transition between the two colors being quite abrupt, but the proportion of the two colors varying tremendously in different individuals, mostly one large, sub-erect one, 25 mm. long and one smaller, recurved one about 13 mm. long immediately below it and 2 shorter beside and a little below the latter about 6 mm. long; scattered among the spines are a few fugacious, reddish brown spic-ules with yellow tips, all finally fading to a dull dirty gray or brown; flowers yellow changing to orange, about 4 or 5 cm. in diameter when fully opened, greenish within with filaments yellowish above and greenish below, style white, stigma yellowish, small, 7 parted; fruit small, pyriform, slightly to quite deep pitted above, reddish purple without and greenish yellow within, rind quite succulent and pulp small in amount having a slight aroma when first cut, covered with small, sub-circular areoles not over 1 mm. in diameter and 5 or 6 mm. apart. The species is more closely related to O. phaeacantha than any other species, but differs decidedly in many character- istics as indicated above. Well matured plants are quite different in habit. Although always greenish yellow within, the fruits differ decidedly in size. The description was drawn in the type locality and has been amended by subsequent notes secured near Devil's River, Texas. The type is No. 9411 D. G., collected near Devil's River, Texas, July 20, 1908.-Plate 26, lower figure.