58 THE FANTASTIC CLAN 



stems are two to four inches long and as much as three 

 inches in diameter. This plant, also, has a flabby texture, 

 with the tubercles arranged in eight to twelve spiral rows, 

 which are disposed rather loosely. The radial spines, slen- 

 der and needlelike and wide-spreading, loosely interlocking 

 with those of the other spine clusters, are white with brown 

 tips. The central spines are hooked and slender, longer 

 and stouter than the radials, about two inches in length, 

 brown and brown-red. The flowers are not at all showy 

 and are less than an inch long and wide ; the sepals and petals 

 are green. The fruit is ovoid and less than an inch long, 

 with a dull purplish or green-purple color. 



How to grow 



Plants will endure outdoor temperatures of twenty or 

 twenty-five degrees below freezing. In colder climates they 

 will thrive in warm, sunny conservatories. Plants grow 

 readily from seed in sandy loam with occasional watering and 

 part shade. Transplant older plants in gravelly clay with 

 enough water to keep the soil moist. Watering once in two 

 weeks during droughty spells is sufficient. This cactus is 

 very attractive as a potted plant, and outside should be 

 given some shade. 



Showy Pincushion Cactus (Coryphantha 



aggregata) 

 (Named from the plant's habit of growing in clumps) 



How to identify and how it grows 



This plant is a fine and showy Pincushion cactus growing 

 from single stems or in clumps, six to fifteen inches in diam- 

 eter across the top of the clump, the stems globose or cylin- 

 drical, two to four inches in diameter. The tubercles are 

 arranged spirally in fifteen to seventeen rows, with twenty 



