ECIIINOCEKKUS 



ECHINOC'VSTIS 



>19 



Var. conoideus, Eiigelm. { Erh'ni<>r,>nn<s ronoideiis, 

 Riinipl, Vetrns conoideas, EniT'lni.). ( Viitral spine 

 long and robust : Us. larp:e. red. Soutln-ni Calif, and 

 northwest Mex. 



18. polyacilnthus, Eiiiivlni. {fere}!.^ p»h/ara„f ],>(.■<. 

 En^^elm.). Stems clustert-d, funning thick masses, i-y- 

 lindrical to ellipsoidal: ribs9-i;{: radial s])iues H~V2, 

 robust, subulate, stifl' and sliarp. under one tlie Inngest, 

 nearly 1 in., upper ones scarcely % in., white to red- 

 dish gray with dark ti])s ; centrals 3-4, bull)ose base, 

 str()nger, about the length of the radials <.r the lowest 

 sometimes reaching 2 in., hnrn-colurfd ; hit. t all the 

 spines become gray: fls. lateral, al)Out 1 ' ,-:2'4 in. long. 

 dark scarlet to l)lood-red: fr. spherical, about 1 in. long, 

 greenish red, spiny. Tex. to Calif, and northern Mex.' 



19. Acifer, Lem. {Cpreus dclfer, Otto). Stems 

 thickly clustered, 6-8 in. high by 1^-2 in. in diani., 

 becoming gray and corky wfth age : ribs 9-11, usually 

 10: radial spines usually 9, spreading, under pair long"- 

 est, about K in., in young growth white, later horn-col- 

 ored to gray, the upper ones brownish ; central soli- 

 tary, straight, porrect, at first ruby red, later brown, 1 

 in. long : fis. lateral, '2 in. and more long, clear scarlet- 

 red, with a yellow throat and sometimesa carmine bor- 

 tier. Nortlieru Mex. 



BBB. I^lhs of stem IS or morr. 



20. chlordnthus, Klimpl. {Cert' u s rhjordufhus, 

 Engelm.). Fig. 747. Stems in small clusters, cylindri- 

 cal, slightly tapering above, 4-9 in. high by 2-23-2 in. in 

 <liam.: ribs 13-18. straight or rarely spiral: radial 

 spines 12-20, horizontally spreading and appressed, 

 sharp, the shortest one about 'Vsin. long and white, the 

 lower laterals a little longer and have purple tips; cen- 

 trals 3-5, or in young plants absent, bulbose at the base, 

 the upper ones shortest, about the length of the radials, 

 and darker colored, with purplish tips, the lower ones 

 stouter, about 1 in. long, defiexed, white; frequently all 

 the spines are white: rls. lateral, little more than 1 in. 

 long: ovary and tube white bristly; petals green : fr. 

 ellipsoidal, about 3^-^in. long, spiny. Texas and New 

 Mexico. 



21. viridifldrus, Engelm. (CerrHs ri ridll'lnrns, 

 Engelm.). Stems solitary or only in age forming snuUl, 

 loose clusters, cylindrical or elongated ellipsoidal, 3-7 

 in. high by 1-2 in. in diani.: ribs 13 : radial spines 12- 

 18, horizontally radiate, pectinate, straight or somewhat 

 curved, subulate, the lower laterals the longest, aliout 

 % in., translucent ruby red, the others white ; centrals 

 usually absent, rarely 1, strong, about % in. long, 

 curved upward, red with brown point: fls. lateral, from 

 just below the crown, broad funnel-form, little more 

 than 1 in. long: ovary and tube spiny : corolla green, with 

 a broad darker olive green to pink stripe down the mid- 

 dle of each petal : fr. ellipsoidal, about H in. long, 

 greenish. Wyo. and Kans. to Tex. and New Mex. 



22. dasyacinthus, Engelm. ( Cerens ildsf/acdnfhns. 

 Engelm.). Stems solitary or sometimes forming open 

 clusters, ellipsoidal to short cylindrical: ribs ir)-21, 

 straight or sometimes slightly spiral, obtuse : radial 

 spines 20-30. straight or sometimes slightly ctirved, 

 subulate, stiff, sharp, pectinate, white witli red or 

 brown tips, later gray, the laterals longest, ^-...-l in., the 

 upper ones shortest, about % in., those of one cluster 

 interlocking witli those of the adjacent chisters; centrals 

 3-8, the lower one longest, white with colored tips, 

 mostly with hulhose bases: fls. from near the crown of 

 the stem, large, 2K-3 in. long: ovary and short ttibe 

 ^.'overed with white, reddish tipped stiff bristles ; co- 

 rolla vellow: fr. l-l^'i in. long, ellipsoidal, spinv. green 

 to reddish. Tex. 



23. ctenoides, Lem. (CrreHs cfi.'))o)ih'>:. Engelm. |. 

 Stems solitary or rarely branching, cylindrical to elon- 

 gated ovoid, reaching a height of 6 in. and a diam. of 

 2^2 in.: ribs 15-16, tisually straight : radial spines 13- 

 22, horizontally radiate, pectinate, subulate, bases bul- 

 bose and laterally compressed, stiff, straiglit or often 

 slightly curved, the laterals longest and about 'js in., 

 the upper ones very short, white or sometimes with 

 brownish tips ; centrals 2-3 or rarely 4, stiperposed, 

 ■coarser, bulbose at the base, short and conical to ^4 in. 

 long, reddish; later all the spines are gray: fls. lateral, 



from near the crown, 2C;-^3 in. long: ovary and sh^rt 

 tube white bristly: corolla yellow, with greenish throat. 

 Tex. and northern Mex. 



24. pectin§,tu8, Engelm. {<''<> reus pectindfus, 

 Engelm.). Clustered stems cylindri-'al or ovoid, reach- 

 ing a height of 10 in. by 3 in. <liam.: ril)s 13-23, 

 straiglit: rtidial spines 16-30, pectinate, horizontally 

 spreading and appressed, straight orctirved, the laterals 

 longest, round, hardly ^8 in. long ; central usually ab- 

 sent, or as many as 5, which are short, conical and su- 

 perposed, white, with tips and liases variously colored 

 with pink, yellow or brown; later all iiecome gray: fls. 

 lateral, from near the crown, 2'._.-4 in. long: ovary tu- 

 berculate and spiny, light to dark rose-red or rarely 

 white: fr. globose, spiny, green to reddish green. Mex. 



Var. adustus, K. Sch. (Ci-'-nnf.^ arh'fsfus, Engelm.). 

 Like the type, but with liia'/k-brown to chestnut-brown 

 spines. Mex. 



Var. rigidissimus, Eii;z;elm. ( C c re u s cdndicavs, 



Hort. *' '. rii/ii/!.ssi llltis. Hurt. ). Ka1NB(:iW CAr'TUS. Fig. 



748. Stems comparatively shorter and tlii<-ker: radial 

 spines 16-20. coarser and stiti'er. straight or very little 

 curved; base thickened, white, yellow or red to brown, 



748. Echiiiocereus pectinata, var rigidissimus. 



these colors commonly arranged in alternating bands 

 around the jilant. the spines of adjacent clusters inter- 

 locking ; centrals aVtseut. Tex. ti.' Ariz, and northern 



Mex. 



Var. caespitdSUS, K. Sch. {A^rhinon'reus r,i .■ipifi<.<;)i<; , 

 Engelm. Cereiis ci^spifosiis , Engelm. |. Kadials 2n-:-{0, 

 curved, clear white or with rose-re<l tips ; centrals ab- 

 sent, or 1-2 verv short ones. Indian Terr., Tex. and 

 Mex. 



Var. nifispinus, K. Sch. Of more robtist growth: ra- 

 dial spines curved, red. ^lex. 



Hnrtieiiltural names nn identifier!: E. poJ^/cpj'habfS.—E. 

 snnfn'iuciis. — E. Vehri. — E. rsi.ienfiK-ii. — E. pnvnijAnri, no 

 doubt a mutilation of paucispinus.— A". .Schliiii^E. Srjieeri ? 



C. H. Thompson-. 



ECHINOCYSTIS (Greek. ;/^r7,-//'-/M->f/ and hhidder: from 

 the prickly fruit). Ciirnrhitdrriv. Wild (.^'cumber. 

 Wild Balsam-Apple. This genus contains a hardy na- 

 tive annual vine which is a great favorite for home ar- 

 bors, although not especially beautiful in foliage, flower 

 or frtiit. Its bladdery frtiits about 2 in. long, covered 

 with weak prickles, are a source of unfailing delight to 

 children, who love to make them burst. It is one of the 

 quickest growing of all vines, and is therefore useful 

 in hiding unsightly objects, while the slower-growing 

 shrubbery is getting a start. The latest reviewer of the 

 gourd family ( Co^uianx, in DC. Mon. Phan. vol. 3, 

 1881) makes three sections of this genus, and this 

 plant the sole representative of the second section, or 



