Tas. 4373. 
ECHINOCACTUS cHLoropHTHALMUS. 
Green-eyed Echinocactus. 
Nat. Ord. CactEa.—IcosanpRIA MoNoGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4124.) 
KcutNnocactus chlorophthalmus; glomeratus subglobosus viridis profunde sub- 
decem-suleatis, tuberculis conico-hemisphzericis vix angulatis spe confluen- 
tibus, areolis prominentibus lanatis, aculeis 10-12 acicularibus radiantibus 
rectis centrali validiore junioribus basi rubris, calycis tubo cylindraceo 
_ tuberculoso-squamatis, squamis v. tuberculis imbricatis apice lanatis acu- 
leatisque summis petaloideis, petalis purpureis basi pallidis, stigmatis radiis 
viridibus. 
Whatever reflections may be made on the uncouth and gro- 
tesque forms of the majority of individuals in the Cactus family, 
it must be conceded of the Zchinocactus group, especially, 
that few plants can excel them in size and beauty of the blossoms. 
In the present instance a single flower equals or exceeds the 
height as well as the breadth of the entire plant ; while the glossy 
purple of the starry petals, pale at their base, with the yellow 
mass of dense anthers, and the almost emerald green of the 
eye-like stigma, cannot fail to call forth admiration. It inhabits 
eal del Monte, Mexico, it blooms in the summer months, and 
will rank next to #. heeedrophorus (vide supra, Tab. 4311). 
Desor. Nearly globose, about the size of a small orange, 
glaucous-green, clustered, with about ten or twelve deep furrows, 
the intermediate ridges divided into six to eight somewhat 
hemispherical, but very irregular mamme, at the top of which is 
a woolly areole, bearing seven to ten slender acicular spines, — 
half to three-quarters of an inch long, spreading; but the central 
one is longer and stronger than the rest :—their colour is pale 
brown, red at the base in the younger ones. Flowers large, 
Solitary, from near the summit of the plant.  Calyw obovato- 
cylindrical, imbricated with numerous ovate, mammillary scales, 
each terminated by a woolly areole and a tuft of small spines, 
MAY Isr, 1848. 
