Tab. 4190. 

 ECHINOCACTUS pectiniferus. 



Pectinated PJchinocactus. 



Nat. Ord. Cacte,e. — Icosandria Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Sepala numerosa imbricata, basi ovario adnata, in tubum brevis- 

 simum coucreta, exteriora involucriformia, intima petaliformia. Stamina nume- 

 rosa, calyci affixa, insequalia, intima brevissima, filiformia, antheria oblongis. 

 Stylos cylindricus, subfistulosus, apice multifidus. Bacca sepalorum rebquiis 

 subsquamata, rarissime laevis. Cotyledones parvulse. — Erutices simplicissimi car- 

 nod, ovati out globosi, melocactoidei aut mammillariadvrmes, aphylli, costati aid 

 tuierculati, costis tuberculin conflumtibus quasi for matis, dorso aculeorum fasciculos 

 gerentibus. Cephalium seu spadix nullus. Flores efasciculis aculeorum ad apicem 

 costarum orli, similes fioribm Cerei, sed tubo vix supra receptaculum elougato. 



EcHDJOC ACTUS pectiniferus; snbrotundo-ovatus vertice depresso sub 20-costatus, 

 costis derails submammillatis obtusis, areolis approximatis ovalibus juni- 

 oi'ibus albo-lamitis, aculeis copiosis biformibus in singula areola albis demum 

 fuscis breviusculis compressis, exterioribus patentissimis bifariam radiantibus 

 subpectinatis interioribus 4-6 ercctis minoribus ssepe abortientibus, floribus 

 subterminalibus, ovario oblongo supei'ne dilatato areolato areolis albo-lanatis 

 setoso-aculeatis, sepalis extus setosis, petalis (roseis) oblougo-lanceolatis 

 acuminatis serratis. 



Echinocactus pectiniferus. Lemaire, Cact. Nov. p. 25. 



It is the case with tins small but showy Echinocactus as with 

 too many others in our collection ; descriptions can give no ade- 

 quate idea of the varied forms of these plants, especially as regards 

 the nature of the costse, the spines, and their arrangement in the 

 areolae, of the flowers, &c. The present species flowered in the 

 Royal Gardens of Kew in April 1845, and was received from San 

 Luis, Mexico, among many fine Cactece sent by Mr. Staines. So 

 uncouth a looking trunk would hardly be expected to give birth 

 to such large and handsome flowers. Professor Lemaire alone has 

 described this curious plant in his " Cactearum Genera nova 8pe- 

 eiesque novae et omnium in Horto Monvilliano cultarum, &c," 

 but he was ignorant of the blossoms. 



Descr. Plant, in our specimens, about four inches high, 

 subrotund or ovate, rather suddenly contracted above the 

 middle, depressed and even umbilicated at the top, deeply cos- 



OCTOBEB 1st, 1845. 



