Xerophyte

Description

Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “The CactaceaePlants pale green or dull green, globular or somewhat broader than high, often 3 dm. in diameter and in time crowned by a cephalium; cephalium elongated, becoming 2 dm. high or more, 1 dm. in diameter, composed of white felt and brown bristles longer than the felt; ribs 1 1 to 15, broad at base, rounded ; spines all brown to yellow at first; radial spines 12 to 15, acicular, widely spreading, 3 cm. long or more; central spines usually 4 but sometimes more, subulate, much stouter than the radials, unequal in length, sometimes 7 cm. long; flower, including the ovary, about 2 cm. long, swollen at the base, the segments linear-lanceolate, acutish, about 5 mm. long; fruit broadly clavate, shining, 1.5 to 2 cm. long, capped by the more or less persistent perianth; seeds short-oblong, 1 mm. long, dull black.

Distribution

Curagao and the adjacent Dutch Islands.Dr. Britton, while studying the vegetation of Curagao in 1913 with special relation to the cacti, closely examined this species at many localities. Many slight variations in size and shape of the plant-body, length and color of the spines, and development of the cephalium were observed, but the conclusion was reached that all the individuals were, doubtless, referable to but one species, notwithstanding Professor Suringar's contrary opinion; Dr. Shafer who accompanied Dr. Britton agreed with this result. Dr. Rose, visiting Curagao in 1916, arrived at the conclusions reached by Dr. Britton and independently by Dr. I. Boldingh, who studied the vegetation of Bonaire, Curagao, and Aruba in 1909 and 1910. The synonymy of the species is the largest of any of the cacti and perhaps not exceeded by that of any other plant.

Type Locality

Not cited.