ECHINOCEBEUS 



ECHINOCfiREtTS (spini/ Cereus). Caclilcece. Stems 

 usually low and growing in thick clusters, which some- 

 times reach a considerable size: fls., as a rule, mostly- 

 short funnel-form: ovary and tube covered with bracts, 

 from the axils of which are produced to a greater or less 

 extent wool, bristles and spines: fr. globose to ellip- 

 soidal, covered with spines until ripe. The genus is so 

 closely allied to Cereus, and merges so gradually into it, 

 that it seems impossible to draw a sharp line of dis- 

 tinction between them, and, indeed, by some aiithors 

 they are combined under Cereus. For culture, see 

 Cactus, Cereus, and Uchinocactus . 



1. tuberdsus, Rilmpl. {Cereus tuberdsus, Poselg. ). 

 Stems cylindrical, upright, or later reclining, clustered, 

 from a number of more or less globular or ellipsoidal 

 tuberous roots, the lower part woody and about the size 

 of a lead pencil, the upper part more fleshy, about Kin. 

 in diam., reaching a length of 1-2 ft.: ribs about 8, 

 straight, low, rounded: areolae very close together : ra- 

 dial spines 9-12, horizontally spreading, straight, white, 

 thin subulate, very short ; central solitary, subulate, 

 from a tuberous base, about twice the length of the 

 radials, white or brownish, with darker brown or black 

 tips, directed upward, appres.sed: fls. from the end of 

 the stem, about 2 in. long, tube covered with an abun- 

 dance of white wool intermingled with bristles, rose-red 

 to purplish: fr. ovoid, green, covered with the white 

 wool and bristles. Tex. and northern Mex. 



2. Scheeri, Lem. {Cereus Scheeri, Salm-Dyck). 

 Branching freely from the base of the stem and forming 

 dense clusters ; branches upright or ascending, about 

 8 in. long by 1 in. in diam., slightly tapering toward the 

 apex, dark green: ribs 8-9, straight or sometimes in- 

 clined to spiral, separated above by sharp grooves, which 

 become flattened toward the base, low arched: areolse 

 little more than %m. apart, round, yellowish white: ra- 

 dial spines 7-9, spreading, needle-like, the under pair 

 the longest, about H-Vs in. long, white with yellowish 

 bases; centrals 3, the lower the longest, about %in., 

 red with brown bases ; later all the spines become gray : 

 fl. red, from the upper part of the stem, about 5 in. 

 long: ovary and tube bracteate and furnished with 

 abundance of wool and spines. Mex. 



3. Berlandieri, Lem. (Cercjis SerJatuUeri, 'Engelm.). 

 Stems prostrate, richly branching, forming dense clus- 

 ters, the branches upright or ascending, 2-3 in. long or 

 longer by K-% in. in diam., light or dark green, and in 

 young growth often purplish : ribs 5-6, broken up into 

 as many straight or spiral rows of tubercles, tubercles 

 conical, pointed : areolae %-% in. apart, round, white- 

 woolly, soon naked: radial spines 6-8, stiff bristle-form, 

 thin, horizontally spreading, white, about % in. long, 

 the upper one sometimes light brown and somewhat 

 stronger ; central solitary, yellowish brown, sometimes 

 reaching % in. in length : fls. from the upper lateral 

 areolae, 2-3 in. long, red to light pink: fr. ovoid, green, 

 bristly. Southern Tex. and northern Mex. 



4. BUnkii, Palm. {Cereus Bhinkii, Poselg.). Branch- 

 ing freely from the base and thus forming clusters: 

 stems columnar, tapering above, about 6 in. long by 

 1 in. in diam., dark green: ribs 5-6 (rarely 7), straight, 

 almost divided into tubercles: areolae about % in. apart, 

 round, white curly-woolly, later naked : radial spines 

 mostly 8, horizontally spreading, the under pair the 

 longest, reaching about % in. in length, all stiff, 



ECHINOCEREUS 517 



straight, thin, white or the upper ones 

 when young, later reddish brown; central solitary, por 

 rect, later deflexed, 1-1 Ji in. long, white or brownish, 

 black when young : fls. from near the crown, 2K-3 in. 

 long, purple-red to violet. Mex. R.H. 1865:90. 



5. procumbens, Lem. {Cereus proctlmbens, Engelm.). 

 Branching from the lower part of the stem, and so form- 

 ing clusters : branches procumbent or ascending, an- 

 gled, at the base tapering into cylindrical, lK-5 in. 

 long by K-% in. in diam. : ribs mostly 5, rarely 4, 

 straight or spiral, on the upper portion of the branch 

 almost divided into tubercles : areolae H-% in. apart, 

 round, sparingly white curly-woolly, soon naked : ra- 

 dial spines 4-6, subulate, stiff, straight, sharp, in young 

 growth brownish, then white, at the base often yellow- 

 ish and the tip brownish, horizontally spreading, the 

 upper the longest, reaching H in. in length ; central 

 solitary, or absent on the lower areolae, somewhat 

 stronger, %-% in. long, darker : fls. lateral, from just 

 below the crown, 3-4 in. long, carmine-red to violet, 

 with white or yellowish throat: fr. ellipsoidal, green, 

 % in. long. Mex. 



6. enneac4nthu3, Engelm. {Cereus enneacanthus, 

 Engelm. ) . Freely branching at the base of the stem, and 

 thus forming thick, irregular clusters : branches as- 

 cending, usually 3-5 in. long by VA-'l in. in diam., 

 green or sometimes reddish: ribs 8-10, straight, often 

 divided by transverse grooves into more or less con- 

 spicuous tubercles: areolae %-% in. apart, round, white 

 curly- woolly, soon naked; radial spines 7-12 (mostly 8), 

 horizontally spreading, needle-form, straight, stiff, 

 translucent white, base bulbose, the under one longest, 

 reaching about Kin., the upper one very short; central 

 solitary, or seldom with two additional upper ones, 

 straight, porrect or deflexed, round or angled, whitish to 

 straw-yellow or darker, ys-1% in. long ; later all the 

 spines are gray : fls. lateral, from near the crown or 

 lower, l?4-2 % in. long, red to purplish : fr. spherical, 

 green to red, spiny, %-l in. long. Tex. and northern 

 Mex. 



AAA . Stems erect, more than 1 in. in diameter. 

 B. Bibs of stem 9 or less. 



7. diibius, Rumpl. {Cereus diibins, Engelm.). Tol- 

 erably thickly clustered ; stems branching at the base, 

 cylindrical or elongated ellipsoidal, 4K-7 in. high by 

 lK-2!4 in. in diam.: ribs 7-9, undulate: areolae %-5^ 

 In. apart, round, covered with short curly white wool, 

 later naked: radials 5-8, subulate, horizontally spread- 

 ing, stiff, round or faintly angled, the lower ones 

 usually the longest, about 1 in. long, the upper ones 

 about half as long, or sometimes absent, transparent 

 white ; centrals 1-4, stronger and longer, bulbose at the 

 base, straight or curved, reaches 254 in. in length, the 

 lowest one longest, straight, porrect or deflexed, the 

 upper ones spreading : fls. lateral, 2 in. long, rose-red 

 to violet: fr. spherical, greenish to purple- red, covered 

 with bundles of deciduous spines. Tex. and northern 

 Mex. 



8. Mferkeri, Hildm. Stems at first upright, columnar, 

 later reclining, and by branching at the base forming 

 clusters, in new growth bright green, later gray to gray- 

 brown and corky: ribs 5-9, undulate to more or less tu- 

 berculate : areola %m. and more apart, round, white 

 velvety, later naked: radial spines 6-9, tlie upper ones 

 the longest, reaching IH in. in length, suintwiiat cc.n- 

 fluent with the centrals, subulate, siinailini,', siiaiixlit; 

 centrals 1-2, stronger, reachinga lenKtli "( - in. ; nil tlie 

 spines are white, nearly transparent, with rcd-tintt'd 

 bulbose base. Northern Mex. 



9. paucispinua, Rilmpl. {Ceretis paucisplnus, 

 Engelm.). Clustered in irregular bunches : stems cy- 

 lindrical to ovoid, 4-7 in. high by l%-3 in. in diam. : 

 ribs 5-7, undulate : areola Va-ya in. apart, round, white 

 woolly, later naked: radial spines 3-6, spreading, subu- 

 late, straight or curved, round, bulbose at the base, the 

 lowest one longest, reaching % in., light colored, the 

 upper ones reaching to about K in., reddish or brown- 

 ish ; central solitary or none, reaching about 1% in. in 

 length, somewhat angled, brown-black, porrect (>r up- 

 right ; later all the spines blackish : fls. 2 in. o-- more 

 long, dark scarlet to yellowish. Tex. and Colo. 



