56 CACTUS CULTURE FOR AMATEURS. 



E. Iieeanus. 



A small globose-stemmed species having many characters in 

 common with E. hexadrophorus and E. gibbosvs. Flowers 1J inches 

 long and wide, with a green fleshy tube, whitish scales, white, rose- 

 tipped petals forming a cup, the cluster of pale yellow stamens 

 occupying the whole of the centre. Argentine I rovinces, in 1840. 

 Flowers in May. Is happiest when grafted. 



Fig. 26. Echlnocactus Le Contei. 

 E. mamillarioides. 



Stem small, irregular in form, owing to the crowding of the 

 fleshy tubercles. Spines small, in tufts of half a dozen, set in 

 little cushions of yellow wool. It blossoms freely, as many 

 as sixteen flowers having been borne at one time by a plant 

 at Kew. Tube short, clothed with green scales ; petals 2 inches 

 long, recurved at the apex, forming a bright yellow cup, with a 

 stripe of red down the centre of each petal ; stamens and pistil 

 yellow. The number* of flowers developed on the small stem 

 formed by this plant is quite extraordinary. Grows and nowers 

 freely in an ordinary greenhouse, or a sunny window. Chili. 



E. mamillosuB. 



A dumpy little plant, with numerous tubercled ridges, bearing 

 bunches of dark brown hair-like spines. Flowers developed in 

 June, 4 inches in diameter, with a thick tube ; petals spreading, 

 bright yellow, arranged to form a cup ; stamens purple. Brazil. 



