ECHINOCACTUS 



ECHINOCACTUS 



in some light non-conducting material. Some of the 

 species will commence to blossom in May and others at 

 intervals during the summer. The flowers vary con- 

 siderably in size, and embrace a good range of color, 

 from white to deep yellow, and from the faintest purple 

 to deep rose. They 'do not readily produce seed^(in New 

 England, at least) unless artificially fertilized. Like 

 most of the Cactus family, the more cylindrical species 

 will readily unite when grafted upon other kinds, not 

 only in the same genus, but mother generaof Cactaceee, 

 and for weak-growing species it may often be an advan- 

 tage to graft upon some stronger-growing species. 

 Cereus Baumanni (or C. colubrinus) makes an excel- 

 lent stock to graft upon, choosing stock plants of rea- 

 sonable size and height. The system known as "wedge- 

 grafting" is perhaps best for the purpose, and the early 

 spring months, or just as the growing season is about 

 to commence, is the best time for grafting. 



If plants of Echinocactus can be kept in a healthy 

 condition, they are not much troubled with insect pests ; 

 mealy-bug is their worst enemy and should be removed 

 at once with a clean mucilage brush. As a guide to 

 amateurs, the writer has found the following to be 

 among the most easily grown: Echinocactus capricor- 

 nis, E. coptonogonus , E. cornigerus, E. Grusoni, E. 

 horizonthalonius , E. longihamatus, E.myriostigma, E. 

 setispinus, E, Texensis, E. WilliatnsH and E. Wislizeni 



EDWARD J. CANNING. 



A. Spines, or some of them, hooked. 

 B. Central spine solitary. 



1. Wrightii (E. uncinatus, , var. Wrightii, Engelm.). 

 Oval, 3-6 in. high, 2-3% in. in diam. : radial spines 8, 

 arranged as in uncinatus ; central spine solitary, angled, 

 flexuous and hooked, elongated (2-6 in.), erect, straw- 

 color, with dark tip: flowers 1-1% in. long, dark pur- 

 ple. Texas and northern Mexico. 



BB. Central spines 4. 

 c. Some or all of the spines annulate. 



2. cylindraceus, Engelm. Globose to ovate or ovate- 

 cylindrical, simple or branching at base, becoming as 

 much as 3 ft. high and 1 ft. in diam. : ribs 13 in younger 

 specimens, 20-27 in older ones, obtuse and tuberculate: 

 spines stout, compressed, more or less curved, reddish; 

 radials about 12, with 3-5 additional slender ones at 

 upper edge of areola, 1-2 in. long, the lowest stouter 

 and shorter and much hooked ; centrals 4, very stout and 

 4-angled, about 2 in. long and one-twelfth to % in. broad, 

 the uppermost broadest and almost straight and erect, 

 the lowest decurved: flowers yellow. Southwestern 

 United States and Lower California. 



3. longihamatus, Gal. Subglobose or at length ovate, 

 becoming 1-2 ft. high: ribs 13-17, often oblique, broad, 

 obtuse, tuberculate-interrupted: spines robust, purplish 

 or variegated when young, at length ashy; radials 8-11, 

 spreading, straight or curved or flexuous, the upper and 

 lower ones 1-3 in. long, the laterals 2-4 in. ; centrals 4, 

 angled, the upper ones turned upwards, straight or 

 curved or twisted, the lower one stouter, elongated 

 (3-8 in.), flexuous and more or less hooked: flowers 

 fellow, tinged with red, 2%-3> in. long. Texas and 

 Mexico. 



4. Wislizeni, Engelm. At first globose, then ovate to 

 cylindrical, l%-4 ft. high: ribs 21-25 (13 in small speci- 

 mens), acute and oblique, more or less tuberculate: 

 radial spines three-fifths to 2 in. long, the 3 upper and 

 3-5 lower ones stiff, straight or curved, annulate, red 

 (in old specimens the 3 stout upper radials move toward 

 the center and become surrounded by the upper bristly 

 ones), the 12-20 laterals (sometimes additional shorter 

 ones above) bristly, elongated, flexuous, horizontally 

 spreading, yellowish white; centrals 4, stout, angled, 

 and red, one and three-fifths to three and one-fifth in. 

 long, the 3 upper straight, the lower one longest (some- 

 times as much as 4-5 in.), very robust (flat and chan- 

 neled above), hooked downward: flowers yellow or 

 sometimes red, two to two and three-fifths in. long. From 

 southern Utah to northern Mexico and Lower California. 



cc. None of the spines annulate. 



5. brevihamatus, Engelra. Globose-ovate, very dark 

 green: ribs 13, deeply tuberculate-interrupted, the tu- 

 bercles with a woolly groove extending to the base: 

 radial spines mostly 12, terete, straight, white or yel- 

 lowish, with dusky tips, %-l in. long, the upper longer; 

 central spines 4 (rarely 1 or 2 additional ones), flattened,, 

 white with black tips, the 2 lateral ones divergent up- 

 ward, straight or a little recurved, 1-2 in. long, the 

 uppermost one weaker, the lower stoutest and darkest, 

 porrect or deflexed, hooked downward, %-l in. long: 

 flowers funnelform, rose-color, 1-1% in. long. South- 

 western Texas and New Mexico. 



6. sinuatus, Dietr. (E. Treculianus, Labour.). Glo- 

 bose, 4-8 in. in diam., bright green: ribs 13, oblique, 

 acute, tuberculate-interrupted, the tubercles short- 

 grooved: radial spines 8-12, setifonn and flexible, the 



745. Echinocactus Emoryi. var. rectispinus. 



