Tab. 4177. 

 ECHINOCACTUS myriostigma. 



Many-spotted Echinocadus. 



Nat. Ord. Cactace^;. — Icosandria Monogynia. 

 Gen. Char. (Fide supra, Tab. 4115.) 



Echinoc actus (§ Asteroidei, Salm-Dyck) myriostigma; suborbicularis v. 

 demum oblongus, profunde 5-6 sulcatus totus punctis seu pulvinulis minu- 

 tis lanosis sparsis tectus, angulis valde prominentibus ad carinam planis 

 areolatis, areolis approximatis trans versis lanosis inermibus, floribus ex urn- 

 bilico terminab stramineis, sepalis superioribus glabris apice sphacelatis 

 mucronatis, petalis subimiserialibus. 



Echinocactus myriostigma. Salm-Dyck, Cact. Sort. Dycle, p. 22. 



Astrophytum myriostigma. Lemaire, Cact. Nov. p. 4. 



One of the most singular of the singular family of Cactaceae, and 

 still considered a rarity in collections ; first described by Lemaire 

 in 1839, but from very imperfect specimens, of which even the 

 native country was not known, but which presented such remark- 

 able characters, independent of flower and fruit, that he ventured 

 to constitute of it a Genus, under the appropriate name of Astro- 

 phytum. The flowers, however, (for we are still ignorant of the 

 fruit) seem to present no characteristic marks to distinguish it 

 from Echinocadus, and I venture to follow the Prince de Salm- 

 Dyck in considering it to form a section of that extensive genus, 

 which he has called Asteroidei. The transverse section not in- 

 aptly resembles a star-fish. We owe the possession of our spe- 

 cimens in the Royal Gardens to F. Staines, Esq., of San Luis 

 Potosi, Mexico, who sent us, in the first instance, specimens ;i 

 foot long; but coming in contact, as it would appear, with 

 a " monster species " enclosed in the same case, they were bruised 

 and eventually perished. Others were afterwards forwarded of a 

 smaller size, and one of them here figured threw out its pretty 

 starry straw-coloured flowers from the depression at the top of the 

 plant in July 1845. 



Descr. Plant eventually attaining a height <>i i> t'(»»r and 

 probably more, at first subrotund, in age becoming more oblong, 



august 1st, 1845. 



