CORYPHANTHA. 



47 



spreading; central spines several, sometimes as many as 14, much stouter than the radials, slightly 

 spreading, those toward top of plant connivent, black or laluish black in their upper half, shading 

 into red, nearly white at base; flowers 3 cm. long and nearly as broad when expanded, light pink, 

 opening in bright sunlight; scales and outer perianth-segments ciliate; inner perianth-segments 

 narrow, acute. 



Type locality: Ivanpah, California. 



Distribution: Deserts of southern California and southern Nevada. 



This species is characterized by its stiff spines, with bluish-black tips shading into 

 red, and is known in southern California as fox-tail cactus. The original description of 

 Mammillaria deserti states that the flowers are straw-colored, tipped with pink, and this 

 suggests Coryphantha chlorantha but we believe that it belongs with Mammillaria alversonii, 

 which certainly has pinkish flowers, and since the name deserti is older than alversonii it is 

 substituted for it. 



Illustrations: Cact. Journ. i : pi. for February, in part; Alverson's Cat. pi. facing 8, as 

 Mammillaria alversonii; Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 480. f. 79, as M. radiosa alversonii. 



Figure 44 is from a photograph of a single plant sent by E. C. Rost; figure 45 is from a 

 photograph of a clump photographed by E. C. Rost in its natural surroundings; figure 46 

 shows a flower taken from Mr. Rost's plant. 



Fig. 47. — Coryphantha aggregata. 



Fig. 48. — Mammillaria recurvispina. 



35. Coryphantha aggregata (Engelmann). 



Mammilaria aggregata Engelmann in Emory, Mil. Reconn. 157. 1848. 

 Cereus aggregatus Coulter, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 396. 1896, as to name. 

 Echinocereus aggregatus Rydberg, Bull. Torr. Club 33: 146. 1906, as to name. 



Plants solitary or cespitose, globular to short-oblong, very spiny ; radial spines numerous, stouter 

 than those of Coryphantha vivipara, white, often with brown tips, appressed; central spines several, 

 stout, all erect and appressed or one often porrect, those towards top of plant connivent; flowers 

 very large and showy, purplish, 5 to 7 cm. broad; outer perianth-segments ciliate; inner perianth- 

 segments narrowly oblanceolate, often 6 mm. broad, acute, apiculate; stigma-lobes 8 to 10, elongated, 

 white; fruit green, oblong, 2 to 2.5 cm. long, naked or occasionally bearing a small scale on the side, 

 juicy; seeds dark brown, 2 mm. long. 



Type locality: Head waters of the Gila. 



Distribution: Western New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and northern Sonora. 

 Mammillaria aggregata came from the headwaters of the Gila. The type was not 

 preserved and is known only from a drawing reproduced in Emory's report. There has 



