- 
spreading, long, rigid spines, of a pale brown colour, and a single 
longer and stronger central one. From the extremity of this 
plant the flowers appear, two or three, large, handsome, showy : 
the base is occupied by green, imbricated scales, tipped with red, 
considered the calyx, and then gradually pass into the copious, 
spreading, straw-coloured, glossy, linear-oblong, or subspathulate 
petals, serrated and mucronated at the apex; of which the more 
exterior, however, are entire and tinged with dull red. Stamens 
numerous, orange colour. Sfy/e rather longer than the stamens : 
rays of the stigma six, yellow. 
