DISCOCACTUS. 



219 



up of long soft wool and few bristles if any ; flowers about 3 cm. long, 4 cm. broad when fully expanded; 

 inner perianth-segments numerous, white, acute; fruit a small naked red clavate berry, 2.5 cm. long; 

 seeds globular, tuberculate. 



The material upon which this species is based was obtained from Dr. Leo Zehntner, 

 who procured it at Sentoce, Bahia, Brazil. A box of living material, fruit, seeds, and several 

 photographs of flowering plants were contributed by him. It is a very distinct species. 



6. Discocactus placentiformis (Lehmann) Schumann in Engler and Prantl, Pflanzenfam. 3 6u : 

 190. 1894. 



Cactus placentiformis Lehmann, Delect. Sem. Hamb. 1826. 

 Melocactus besleri Link and Otto, Verh. Ver. Beford. Gartenb. 3: 420. 

 Melocactus placentiformis De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 460. 1828. 

 Discocactus insignis Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 5: 241. 1837. 

 Discocactus lehmannii Pfeiffer, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 19: 120. 1839. 

 Discocactus linkii Pfeiffer, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 19: 120. 1S39. 

 Echinocaclus placentiformis Schumann, Fl. Bras. 4 2 : 246. 1890. 

 Discocactus besleri Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 450. 1896. 



1827. 



Fig. 234. Discocactus placentiformis. 



Plant broad and low, solitary, blue-green ; ribs 10 to 14, broad and low; areoles 6 or 7 on each rib; 

 radial spines dark, flattened (?), 6 or 7, stout, more or less recurved; central spine usually wanting, 

 sometimes solitary and porrect ; flowers large ; outer perianth-segments rose-colored ; inner perianth- 

 segments white, acute; fruit white, globular, juicy. 



Type locality: Brazil, but no definite locality cited. 

 Distribution: Brazil. 



This species was figured by Besler in 161 3 and Besler's figure was afterwards made the 

 type of Melocactus besleri. 



