Descr. Stems five to nine inches high, by two to four 
in diameter, rather deformed, constricted and divided, deep 
dark green with five to seven grooves, separating thick 
irregular tumid hemispherical ridges one-half to three- 
quarters of an inch in diameter, with rounded tips; mamille 
sometimes hemispheric, at others elongate and confluent, 
smooth, crowned with a very small areola, from which the 
spines spring. Spines-three to seven, stout, tumid at the 
base, radiating, straight or slightly recurved, pale red- 
brown; central one absent, or if present robust and darker © 
than the others. Flowers axillary towards the top of the 
stem, three inches broad, two and a half in diameter. 
Calyx-tube subcylindric, with ten to fifteen clusters of short 
pale spines. Outer sepals oblong, obtuse, aculeate. Petals 
about thirty, elongate-spathulate, with concave rounded tips, 
suberect and spreading, dark red with a brown tinge. 
Stamens very numerous; filaments conniving in an elon- 
gated cone; anthers small, purple. Stigmas about ten, 
suberect, stout, green.—J. D, H. 
Fig. 1, Bases of spines; 2, stigmas :—hoth enlarged. 
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