rarely it is almost or quite simple. As a species this is 
very near and usually confounded with EH. pectinatus, a 
Mexican plant (under which name it came to Kew). #. 
pectinatus has more (about twenty-three) ribs, sixteen to 
twenty subrecurved prickles, of which two to five are 
central, sixty to seventy pulvilli on the tube, and fewer 
(sixteen to eighteen) oblong petals. 
Dr. Engelmann enumerates three varieties (of H. cespi- 
tosus,—a, minor, with shorter more slender not interlaced 
spines and smaller flowers; 8, major, with longer stronger 
interlaced spines and larger flowers; and y, castanea, with 
red or chestnut-brown spines. 
This plant was given to the Royal Gardens by Mr. 
Croucher, formerly foreman of the propagating department 
at Kew, and subsequently gardener to Mr. Peacock at 
Hammersmith, and now in the United States of America. 
Desor. Stems four to six inches high by three to four in 
diameter, simple or clustered, cylindric-ovoid, pale greyish 
or whitish with scanty brown wool. Ribs twelve to eighteen, 
low, one-half to thr -quarters of an inch broad at the base. 
Pulvilli close-set, a quarter of an inch apart or more, with 
twenty to thirty pectinately arranged straight spines a 
quarter of an inch long or more, mixed with wool; spines 
white or rosy, appressed to the stem, the lateral much the 
longest, central none or very few and short. Tube of the 
flowers with eighty to one hundred pulvilli clothed with long 
ashy wool, and bearing six to sixteen brown or blackish 
spines. Inner sepals eighteen to twenty-five, oblanceolate, 
entire or toothed. Petals thirty to forty, deep rose-coloured, 
oblong, acute, obtuse or mucronate. Stigma funnel-shaped, 
green, with twelve to eighteen rays. Berry green, ovoid. 
Seeds obovate, tubercled, black.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Group of spines; 2, vertical section of calyx and ovary; 3, pulvillus of 
tube; 4 and 6, anthers; 6, stigma; 7, ovules :—all enlarged. 
