Tas. 8583. 
ECHINOCACTUS MINUSCULUS. 
Argentina. 
CactacEAE. Tribe ECHINOCACTEAE, 
Ecurocactus, Link et Otto; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 848. 
Echinocactus minusculus, Weber in Bois, Dict. d’Horticulture, vol. i. 
p. 471; K. Schum., Gesamtb. Kakt. p. 396, et in Bliih, Kakt. vol. i. t. 31; 
La Tribune Hort. 1909, t. 140; affinis H. Fiebrigii, Guerke, sed tuberculis 
minoribus, spinis brevioribus et ovario glabro differt. 
Herba succulenta, globosa, vertice dépressa, simplex vel prolifera, 2°5-6 cm. 
diametro; tubercula convexa, spiaglited disposita, 1-2 mm. alta, laete 
viridia, Aculet 25-30, centralibus et radialibus similibus, 2-3°5 mm. 
longi. Flores e basi plantae enati, erecti, elongato-infundibuliformes, 
2-5-8 em. longi et diametro, glabri; tubus gracilis, basi curvatus, pulchre 
kermesinus cum squamis ovatis acuminatis fusco-rubris conspersus ; petala 
circiter 12, ad 1°5 cm. longa, 4 mm. lata, lineari-oblonga, acuta, apice 
minute denticulata, pulchre cinnabarina. Stamina 15-30, albida. 
“Stigma 4-5-lobum, albidum.—Rebutia minuscula, K, Schum. in Monatschr. 
fiir Kakt. vol. v. p. 102, cum icon. Echinopsis minuscula, Weber in Bois, 
Dict. d’Horticulture, vol. i. p. 471.—N. E. Brown. 
The Echinocactus now figured is a native of the province + 
of Tucuman in Argentina, which was first introduced to 
European collections of succulent plants in 1894 or 1895 
by Mr. Felder of Lichterfelde, who had received it from 
Mr. Rebat of Chazay d’Azergues, in Argentina. It is 
one of the most pleasing and at the same time one of 
as. the easiest to grow of the small Cactaceae, thriving well 
in an open mixture of turfy loam, sand and mortar- 
rubbish in an airy sunny greenhouse. Under these 
conditions it is extremely floriferous and produces seeds 
in abundance. Each flower, however, lasts only for a 
day or two. Propagation is readily effected by seeds, 
and seedlings reach the flowering stage when three to 
four years old. The plant from which the material for 
our plate has been obtained was purchased for the Kew 
 olléction in 1913 from Messrs. Cragg, Harrison and 
‘Cragg, Nurserymen, Heston. £. minusculus and L. Fie- 
brigit, Guerke, agree with each other, and are remarkable 
in the genus Lehinocactus for producing their flowers 
from the base instead of the upper part of the plant, a 
November, 1914. 
