438 EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAl^ BASII^ OF UTATt. 



generni appeamnce, the Jmhltas, of a cactus plant, not necessarily indicates its real 

 affinities. Not only is it a true EcMnocadus, notwithstanding every appearance of a 

 Mamillaria, hut it is, moreover, closely allied in all its essential characters to the very 

 compact Eck infcriexhis, Engelm., C. Bound, p. 27, t. 34, in which all traces of tuber- 

 culcs are lost in the straight ribs. It has the same small flowers and the same small 

 dry fruit, containing few large seeds, of similar structure, though not entirely the same 



arrniigement of the spines. 



Fllll-gro^^•n specimens of our plant are 3-5 inches high and 3-4 inches in diam- 

 eter, of dark-green color ; tubercules loosely arranged in ^ or | order, 8 and 13 spirals 

 being most prominent. They are G-8 lines long, at base some\A'hat cpiadrangular, 

 6-7 lines wide in the vertical and 4-5 lines in the transverse diameter, becoming sub- 

 cylindric upward ; areolaj 3-4 lines long, a little more than half as wide. The frnit- 

 bearlno- tubercules are rather stouter and shorter. Exterior spines 4-6 lines long, 

 whitisli; interior ones spreading^ stouter, and a little longer (5-7 lines long), yel- 

 lowish and upward deep brown or black ; no truly central spine. In the very young- 

 plant, the spines, 18-20 in number and only 1-1 i- lines in length, are all radiating^ 

 closely fitting with their compressed bidbous bases on a linear areola, resenibhng in 

 shape and arrangement those of Cereiis ccesjntosus. Soon afterward the areola 

 becomes wider, and 6 or 8 short, stout, brown interior spines make their appearance, 

 divergent like the original ones. Next the ordinary arrangementj as described above, 



takes place. 



It seems that quite early in spring the young tubercules on the vertex of the plant 

 be'^in to form, exhibiting their densely woolly tops, and soon afterward, long before 



any spines mrdce their ai)pearance, the tips of the smooth brown ilower-buds come out. 

 Tlie flowers are 8-10 lines long and of nearly the same diameter, externally greenish- 

 purple, petals yellowish-green or verging to pale purple. The short stnmens arise 

 from the whole surface of the tube, leaving only a a cry small nectariferous space in 

 its base- The fruit is about 3 or 3^ lines long and almost as wide, borne on a very 

 large circular* areola, surrounded by a woolly margin (see t. 2, £ 1). It bears 

 towai'd its top 1-3 scales, sometimes with 1 or 2 small spines in their axils. The 



■ 



fruit usnnlly opens by an irregular lateral slit; foiling off, its base remains attached 

 to the areola, as is the case in many (or allf or only all the dry-fruited I) Echinocacf}, 

 thus prodiTciiig a basal opening (see t. 2, f. 5). Seeds ly lines long in the longest 

 diameter, covered with minute close-set tubercles. The 3-oung seedling shows erect, 

 pointed cotyledons, and, when a few Aveeks old, begins to develop its pubescent spines. 



Yar. ^6" has ])een received this fall from the Colorado gold-region;* the smallest 

 specimens were 1 inch in diameter, globose, the small tubercules in ij order, spines 

 -2 lines long, often curved; sometimes 1-3 darker stouter ones in tiio center. The 



larger specimens are almost of the size of those of Utah, but often depressed at top; 

 tubercules arranged in if or even H order, spines only 4-5 lines long, 20-28 external 

 and 6 or 7 internal ones. 



This species has been named in honor of the arallant commander of the exnedition. 



* It here grows and thrives probably at a higher elevation than any other north.'in Cactus, ociuipying e. g. the 

 gravelly moraines of the Glacial period of Clear Creek Valley, between 8,000 and 9,000 fet-t altitii de, and in tlie southern 

 part of the Territory, the Sangre de Cristo Pass, 10,000 feet high (January, 1870). 



