FEROCACTUS. 
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Echinocactus sulphureus Dietrich, Allg. Gartenz. 13: 170. 1845. 
Globose, 7 to 10 cm. in diameter, green, depressed at the apex, very spiny; ribs numerous, much 
compressed, undulate, each bearing a few areoles; spines 8 or 9, white, when young with brown tips, 
compressed at base, subulate; central spine solitary, porrect, long; flowers probably yellow. 
The plant described by Schumann as E. gladiatus has yellow spines, a character not 
referred to either under that species, as originally described, or under E. sulphureus. 
According to Salm-Dyck, this plant is near Echinocactus anfractuosus. 
Echinocactus tellii Hortus, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. n: 161. 1901. 
Said to be of this relationship. 
Echinocactus teretispinus Eemaire, Hort. Univ. 6:60. 1845. 
“We have observed, in the rich collection of M. Odier, a distinguished amateur of Bellevue, a 
species belonging to our section Stenogoni of Echinocactus, with cylindrical spines, a character peculiar 
to this section, which is possessed by only one other species, the E. [name not given], but in the latter 
the upper spine is flat, and anyway these two plants are quite distinct. Our specific name signifies 
this character. We intend to refer again to this curious species and at the same time to point out 
many other novelties of M. Odier, which he received directly from Mexico." 
Echinocactus tribolacanthus Monville in Labouret, Monogr. Cact. 221. 1853. 
Cylindric; ribs numerous, flat; spines 8; flowers red. 
Echinocactus trifurcatus Jacobi, Allg. Gartenz. 24: 100. 1S56. 
Plant pyriform, 6 cm. in diameter near the apex, umbilicate at apex, glaucous-green; ribs 32, 
membranaceous, compressed; spines 5. 
16. FEROCACTUS gen. nov. 
Globular to cylindric, often large cacti; ribs thick and prominent; spines well developed, 
either straight or hooked; areoles usually large, bearing flowers only when young and then only just 
above the spine-clusters, more or less felted when young; flowers usually large, broadly funnel- 
shaped to campanulate, usually with a very short tube; stamens numerous, borne on the throat, 
short; ovary and flower-tube very scaly; scales naked in their axils; fruit oblong, usually thick- 
walled and dry, dehiscing by a large basal pore; seeds black, pitted, never tuberculate; embryo 
curved. 
Type species: Echinocactus wislizeni Engelmann. 
The oldest species in this genus is Ferocactus nobilis which was collected by William 
Houston in Mexico before 1733. It was described by Miller in the Gardeners’ Magazine 
7th ed. 1759. Upon this description Linnaeus in 1767 (Mantissa 243) based his Cactus 
nobilis and Miller in 1768 (Gard. Mag.) his Cactus recurvus'. 
The generic name is from ferus wild, fierce, and cactus, referring to the very spiny 
character of the plants. 
We recognize 30 species, heretofore treated under Echinocactus, all from North 
America. The genus differs from Echinocactus proper in its fruits and flowers. 
Key to Species. 
A. Giant species, often 1 meter high or more (except apparently 3, 4, and 5). 
B. Areoles with a marginal row of bristles or hairs. 
Areoles with marginal weak hairs. 
Central spines yellowish; flowers yellow. 1 . F. stainesii 
Central spines bright red; flowers red. 2. F. pringlei 
Areoles with marginal bristles. 
Central spine hooked. 
Central spines 8 cm. long or less, 4 to 6 mm. wide. 
Inner perianth-segments pink. 
Inner perianth-segments linear. 3. F.fordii 
Inner perianth-segments oblong . 4. F. townsendianus 
Inner perianth-segments yellow to red, the outer pinkish. 
Inner perianth-segments about 2 cm. long; spines yellow to red. 5. F. chrysacanthus 
Inner perianth-segments 4 to 5 cm. long; spines white to reddish. 6. F. wislizeni 
Central spines up to 12 cm. long and 8 mm. wide. 7. F. horridus 
