Tas. 4486. 
ECHINOCACTUS RHODOPHTHALMUS. 
Red-eyed Echinocactus. 
Nat. Ord. Cacte®.—IcosanpRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4124.) 
Ecurtnocactus rhodophthalmus ; solitarius subelatus conico-columnaris profunde 
8—9-sulcatus, costis obtusis crenato-tuberculatis tuberculis compressis sub- 
hemisphericis, areolis obsolete lanatis, aculeis subnovem validis rectis pur- 
pureo-fuscis demum pallidis, centrali subduplo majore, calycis tubo obconico 
squamoso inermi squamis sepalisve ovatis albomarginatis, petalis spathulatis 
roseis basi intense rubris. 
Received from Mr. Staines, who procured it from the neigh- 
bourhood of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and we do not find the 
description of any species to correspond with it. In its flourishing 
state it is exceedingly handsome, the deep red of the base of 
the petals forming a ring, as it were, round the densely-clustered 
stamens and bright yellow rays of the stigma, adding much to 
the beauty of the blossom. It flowers with us in August. 
Descr. Our plants are from four to five inches high, sub- 
columnar, but tapering upwards almost from the base, deeply 
cut into about eight or nine furrows, the ridges obtuse, but formed 
into lobes or tubercles by transverse lines ; the tubercles are sub- 
hemispherical but compressed ; the areo/e furnished with obscure 
wool : the spines about nine, strong, straight, tapering, flattened, 
at first deep purple, afterwards pale and almost colourless, length 
from three-quarters of an inch to an inch, mostly spreading, but 
the central one, which is much the longest and strongest, stands 
forward. The flowers are produced from the summit of the 
plant, large, handsome. The calya-tube (or green portion) about 
an inch long, obconical, quite destitute of spines or sete, but 
with the scales or sepals ovate, brown with pale margins, gradually 
passing into the long, linear-spathulate, acute, spreading, bright 
rose-coloured petals, which have a dark red almost crimson spot 
at the base, forming a radiating circle around the column of 
stamens and style. Stamens numerous, very compact : filaments 
JANUARY Ist, 1850. * B 
