332 Some account of the Echinocactus Eyriesii., 



we shall make some extracts from his communication. He de- 

 scribes the genus Echinocactus and the species Eyriesii, accom- 

 panying these descriptions with its history. 



The genus Echinocactus, according to Mr. Turpin, holds a 

 situation midway between Melocactus and Cereus. The echi- 

 nocactuses have a melon-formed stem, composed of a variable 

 number of ribs or angles, upon which are disposed alternately 

 and in a spiral form the eyes and buds, which are woolly, and 

 set around with spines. So far they resemble the rnelocactuses; 

 but they essentially differ in having their inflorescence more scat- 

 tered, the tubes of the calyx covered with a large number of 

 scales, by the multiplicity of their petals, and by the fruit, which is 

 covered with scales, instead of being naked and smooth. " Noth- 

 ing," he states, " is more distinct among the new generas estab- 

 lished than the melocactus, invariably crowned, as it were, by 

 its conical spadix woolly and floriferous, and the echinocactus al- 

 ways uncrowned, and with its inflorescence scattered." 



M. De Candolle, in his Prodomus, gives the description of 

 nineteen species of Echinocactus, but of which only six were 

 known in a state of inflorescence. Since the publication of that 

 work, however, M. De Candolle received from M. le Dr 

 Coulter, of IMexico, an inv^oice of living cactuses, and in a post- 

 script in the supplement to his learned Dissertation sur les Cac- 

 tuses, has given the description, in Latin, of a great number of 

 species, among which are four new echinocactuses, which, at the 

 time that paper was written, (1830,) made the whole number 

 twenty-three. Among all the species described, not one could 

 be referred to the Echinocactus Eyriesii.* 



The history of the plant, as gathered from M. Turpin's pa- 

 per, is as follows: — M. Alexander Eyries, of Havre, whose 

 distinguished zeal for every thing which could subserve the sci- 

 ence, and who is so well known to all naturalists, has not only 

 been desirous to communicate to me this new species of echino- 

 cactus, but has furthermore, with great politeness, furnished me 

 with data touching the native habitat o-f this vegetable, and its 

 introduction to the nurserymen of Havre. Not satisfied with 

 that merely, M. A. Eyries has urged his generosity to the extent 

 of sending me four young plants; the first designed for the Jar- 

 din du Roi, the second for the Establishment Royal et horticole 

 de I'Institut de Fremont, the third for M. Fulchiron, and the 

 fourth for myself; in a word, of hastening as much as possible 

 the propagation and distribution of this beautiful species of the 

 cactuses. 



" This cactus," says M. A. Eyries, in the communication ad- 



* In honor of M. Alexander Eyries, of Havre, to whom the author, 

 M. Turpin, v/;is indebted for a communication respecting this species. 



