Opuntia
OPUNTIA. Tourn. Inst. R. H. 239. tab. 122. Tuna. Hort. Elth. 295. Cactus. Lin. Gen. Plant. 539. [This plant is called Opuntia, because Theophrastus writes, that it grows about Opuntium.] The Indian Fig, or prickly Pear; in French, Raquette.
 

The CHARACTERS are,
The flower is composed of several petals, which are obtuse, concave, and placed in a circular order, sitting upon the germen. It has a great number of awl-shaped stamina, which are inserted in the germen, are shorter than the petals, and terminated by oblong erect summits. The germen, which is situated under the flower, supports a cylindrical style the length of the stamina, crowned by a multifid stigma. The germen afterward turns to a fleshy umbilicated fruit with one cell, inclosing many roundish seeds.

This genus of plants is ranged in the second section of Tournefort's sixth class, which includes the herbs with a Rose flower, whose pointal or empalement becomes a fruit with one capsule. Dr. Linnaeus places it in the first section of his twelfth class, in which he ranges those plants whose flowers have more than nineteen stamina, which are inserted either into the empalement, or petals of the flower.

The SPECIES are,

  1. OPUNTIA (Vulgaris) articulis ovatis compressis, spinis setaceis. Indian Fig with oval compressed joints, and bristly spines. Opuntia vulgò herbariorum. J. B. 1. 154. The common Opuntia, or Indian Fig.
  2. OPUNTIA (Ficus Indica) articulis ovato-oblongis, spinis setaceis. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints, and bristly spines. Opuntia folio oblongo media. Torn. Inst. R. H. 239. Middle Indian Fig with with oblong leaves.
  3. OPUNTIA (Tuna) articulis ovato-oblongis, spinis subulatis. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints, and awlshaped spines. Opuntia major, validissimis spinis munita. Tourn. Inst. R. H. 239. Greater Indian Fig with very strong spines.
  4. OPUNTIA (Elatior) articulis ovato-oblongis, spinis longissimis nigricantibus. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints, and very long black spines. Tuna elatior spinis validis nigricantibus. Hort. Elth. tab. 194. Taller Indian Fig with strong black spines.
  5. OPUNTIA (Maxima) articulis ovato-oblongis crassissimis, spinis inaequalibus. Indian Fig with oblong, oval thick joints, an unequal spines. Opuntia maxima. folio spinoso, latissimo & longissimo. Tourn. Inst. 240. Greatest Indian Fig, with the longest and broadest prickly branches.
  6. OPUNTIA (Cochinelifera) articulis ovato-oblongis subinermibus. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints, almost without spines. Opuntia maxima, folio oblongo-rotundo majore, spinulis mollibus & innocentibus obsito, flore striis rubris veriegato. Sloan. Cat. Jam. 194. Greatest Indian Fig, with a larger, oblong, round leaf, armed with soft, innocent, small spines, and a flower variegated with red stripes, commonly called the Cochineal Fig.
  7. OPUNTIA (Curassavica) articulis cylindro-ventricosis, compressis, spinis setaceis. Indian Fig with compressed, cylindrical, bellied joints, and bristly spines. Ficus Indica, seu Opuntia Curassavica minima. Hort. Amst. 1. 107. Indian Fig, or the least opuntia of Currasoa, frequently titled Pinpillow.
  8. OPUNTIA (Spinosissima) articulis longissimis tenuibus compressis, spinis longissimis consertissimis, gracilibus albicantibus armatis. Houst. MSS. Stalky Indian Fig, with large, narrow, compressed leaves, armed with the longest, narrowest, white spines, growing in clusters; this is by the gardeners called, Robinson Crusoe's Coat.
  9. OPUNTIA (Phyllanthus) prolifer ensiformi-compressus serrato-repandus. Indian Fig with compressed swordshaped joints, whose indentures turn backward. Cereus scolopendri folio brachiato. Hort. Elth. 73. tab. 64. Torch Thistle with a branching Spleenwort leaf.

These plants are all of them natives of America, though the first sort is found growing wild on the sides of the roads about Naples, in Sicily, and Spain, but it is probable that the plants may have been brought from America thither at first. This sort has been long in the English gardens; the joints or branches of this are oval, or roundish, compressed on their two sides flat, and have small leaves coming out in knots on their surface, as also on their upper edges, which fall off in a short time; and at the same knots there are three or four short bristly spines, which do not appear unless they are closely viewed; but on being handled, they enter the flesh, and separate from the plant, so are troublesome, and often very difficult to get out of the flesh. The branches of this sort spread near the ground, and frequently trail upon it, putting out new roots, so are extended to a considerable distance, and never rise in height; these are fleshy and herbaceous while they are young, but as they grow old become drier, of a tough contexture, and have ligneous fibres. The flowers come out on the upper edges of the branches, generally, though sometimes they are produced on their sides; these sit upon the embryo of their fruit, and are composed of several roundish concave petals, which spread open; they are of a pale yellow colour, and within arise a great number of stamina, fastened to the embryo of the fruit, which are terminated by oblong summits; and in the center is situated the style, crowned by a many-pointed stigma; after the flowers are past, the embryo swells to an oblong fruit, whose skin, or cover, is set with small spines in clusters, and the inside is fleshy, of a purple, or red colour, in which are lodged many black seeds. This plant flowers here in July and August, but unless the season is very warm, the fruit will not ripen in England.

I received some branches of this sort from Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S. who assured me they were sent him from Newfoundland, where the plants grow naturally, which is much farther to the north than it was before known to grow; and how it endures the cold of that country is inconceivable, for though the plants will live abroad in England, in a warm situation and dry soil, yet in severe winters, they are generally destroyed, if they are not protected from the frost.

The second sort hath oblong, oval, compressed branches, which grow more erect than those of the first, armed with long bristly spines, which come out in clusters from a point on each of the compressed sides, spreading open like the rays of a star. The flowers grow upon the embryo of the fruit, which come oat from the upper edges of the leaves like the first, but are larger, and of a brighter yellow colour. The fruit is also larger, and of a deeper purple colour, the outer skin is also armed with longer spines; this is the most common sort in Jamaica, and upon the fruit of this the wild sort of cochineal feeds, which is called Sylvester. I had some of the plants sent me with the living insects upon them from Jamaica, by the late Dr. Houstoun, who was writing a history of these insects, at the time when he was taken ill and died; these insects kept alive upon the plants here for three or four month, but afterward perished. If the fruit of this plant is eaten, it will dye the urine of a bloody colour.

The third sort hath stronger branches than the second, which are armed with larger thorns, of an awlshape; they are whitish, and come out in clusters like those of the other sort. The flowers are large, of a bright yellow colour, and the fruit is shaped like that of the second sort.

The fourth sort grows taller than either of the former; the branches are larger, thicker, and of a deeper green, and are armed with strong black spines, which come out in clusters like those of the other sorts, but the clusters are farther asunder. The flowers are produced from the upper edges of the branches; they are smaller than those of the other sorts, and are of purplish colour, as are also the stamina; the fruit is of the same form as those of the first, but do not ripen here.

The fifth sort is the largest of all the sorts yet known. The joints of these are more than a foot long, and eight inches broad; they are very thick, of a deep green colour, and armed with a few short bristly spines; the older branches of this often become almost taper, and are very strong. The flowers of this sort I have never yet seen; for although I have had many of the plants more than ten feet hight, none of them has produced any flowers.

The sixth sort has been always supposed to be the plant, upon which the cochineal insects feed; this hath oblong, smooth, green branches, which grow erect, and rise to the height of eight or ten feet, having scarce any spines on them and those few which are, can scarce be discerned at a distance, and are so soft as not to be troublesome when handled. The flowers of this sort are small, and of a purple colour, standing upon the embryo of the fruit, in the same manner as those of the other sort, but do not expand open like them. The flowers of this appear late in the autumn, and the fruit drop off in winter, without coming to any perfection here; this sort is cultivated in the fields of New Spain, for the increase of the insects, but it grows naturally in Jamaica, where it is probable the true cochineal might be discovered, if persons of skill were search after this insects.

The seventh sort is said to grow naturally at Currassao; this hath cylindrical swelling joints, which are closely armed with slender white spines. The branches spread out on every side, and where they have no support, fall to the ground, very often separating at the joints from the plants, and as they lie upon the ground, put out roots, so form new plants; this sort very rarely produces flowers in England. In the West-Indies it is called Pinpillow, from the appearance which the branches have to a pin-cushion stuck full of pins.

The eighth sort was sent me from Jamaica by the late Dr. Houstoun, who found it growing naturally there in great plenty, but could observe either fruit or flower upon any of the plants, nor have any of them produced either in England. The branches of this sort have much longer joints than any of the others; they are narrower, and more compressed. The spines of this are very long, slender, and of a yellowish brown colour, coming out in clusters all over the surface of the branches, crossing each other, so as to render it dangerous to handle; for upon being touched, the spines adhere to the hand and quite the branches, and penetrate into the flesh, so become very troublesome.

The ninth sort grows naturally in the Brasils; this hath very thin branches, which are indented regularly on their edges, like Spleenwort; they are of a light green, and shaped like a broad sword; these are smooth, having no spines. The flowers come out from the side, and at the end of the branches, sitting on the embryos in the same way as the other sorts; they are of a pale yellow colour. The fruit is shaped like those of the first sort, but rarely ripen in England.

All these sorts (except the first) are too tender to thrive in open air in England; nor can many of them be preserved through the winter here, unless they have artificial heat; for when they are placed in a green-house, they turn to a pale yellow colour, their branches shrink, and frequently rot on the first aproach of warm weather in the spring.

These plants may be all propagated by cutting of their branches as the joints, during any of the summer month, which should be laid in a warm dry place for a fortnight, that the wounded part may be healed over, otherwise they will rot with the moisture which they imbibe at that part, as is the case with most other succulent plants. The soil in which these plants must be planted, should be composed after the following manner, viz. one third of light fresh earth from a pasture, a third part sea sand, and the other part should be one half rotten tan, and the other half lime rubbish; these should be well mixed, and laid in a heap three or four months before it is used, observing to turn it over at least once a month, that the several parts may be well united; then you should pass it through a rough screen, in order to separate the lagest stones and clods, but by no means sift it to fine, which is a very common fault; then you should reserve some of the smaller stones and rubbish to lay at the bottom of the pots, in order to keep an open passage for the moisture to drain off; which is what must be observed for all succulent plants, for if the moisture be detained in the pots, it will rot their roots and destroy the plants.

When you plant any of the branches of these plants (except the first sort) you should plunge the pots into a moderate hot-bed, which will greatly facilitate their taking root; you shold also refreh them now and then with a little water, but be very careful not to let them have to much, or be too often watered, especially before they are rooted. When the plants begin to shoot, you must give them a large share of air, by raising the glasses, otherwise their shoots will draw up so week, as not to be able to support themselves; and after they have taken strong root, you should inure them to the air by degrees, and then remove them into the stove where they should remain, placing them near the glasses, which should always be opened in warm weather; so that they may have the advantage of a free air, and yet be protected from wet and cold.

During the summer season these plants will require to be often refreshed with water, but it must not be given to them in large quantities lest it rot them, and in winter this should be proportioned to the warmth of the stove; for if the air be kept very warm they will require to be often refreshed, otherwise their branches will shrink; but if the house be kept in a moderate degree of warmth, they should have but little, for moisture at that season will rot them very soon. The heat in which these plants thrive best, is the temperate point, as marked on botanical thermometers, for if they are kept too warm in winter, it causes theirs shoots to be very tender, weak, and unsightly. Those sorts which are inclinable to grow upright, should have their branches supported with stakes, otherwise their weight is so great, that it will break them down.

These plants are by most people exposed to the open air in the summer season, but they thrive much better if they are continued in the stoves, provided the glasses be kept open, so that they may have fresh air; for when they are set abroad, the great rains which generally fall in summer, together with the unsettled temperature of the air in our climate, greatly diminish their beauty, by retarding their growth; and sometimes in wet summers they are so replete with moisture, as to rot in the succeeding winter; nor will those plants which are set abroad (I mean the tender sorts) produce their flowers and fruit in such plenty, as those which are constantly preserved in the house.