THE BABY CACTUS 45 



nized by his abundant dark-colored spines, in fact almost 

 hidden by this dense growth of stout dangerous-looking 

 reddish brown and black thorns, borne on the tubercles and 

 about half an inch long. Arizonica is the tiniest of all the 

 baby cacti, scarcely more than an inch tall and just as broad; 

 occasionally reaching the height of two or three inches. The 

 flowers, clustering in groups of three and five blossoms, are 

 like a dainty bell, the petals and sepals narrow and lance- 

 shaped, occurring In attractive rose or rose-purple and tan 

 shades. 



California Pincushion (Mammillaria tetrancistera) 



Northern and Central Arizona, Southern California, 

 Southern Utah, and Southern Nevada 



Heading southward from the Grand Cafion we find In the 

 area north of Phoenix, Arizona, a most beautiful distinctive 

 Pincushion which we recognize as native to California. In- 

 deed so abundant is it in the foothills back from Los An- 

 geles, on the road from Big Bear Lake and out on the Mojave 

 Desert, that this round cactus is known as California's Pin- 

 cushion. Two to twelve inches tall, about two and one-half 

 Inches broad. It has eight rows of tubercles set in a symmet- 

 rical spiral over the pale green body, protected by forty to 

 sixty delicate white radial thorns, slender as a needle, cov- 

 ering the entire plant, and one to four reddish brown hooked 

 central spines, surrounded by a dark halo of deep purple 

 blossoms. Bright scarlet is the fruit, but not edible as are 

 the fruits of several related species. 



Black Spined Pincushion (Mammillaria Milleri) 



Northern Arizona (Phoenix, Kingman) 

 Again the sun is fading over the western rim of the foot- 

 hills, leaving a flood of glory in his wake, and we are glad 



