PARADE OF THE DESERT FLOWERS 77 



or rock gardens. Like others of this group the plants may 

 be transplanted at almost any season, and if planted in early 

 spring they blossom the same year. They grow in sandy 

 or loamy soil with enough water to keep the soil moist during 

 the growing season; they endure prolonged drought in their 

 native habitats and hence should not be watered excessively 

 in cultivation. 



Golden Spined Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus 



chrysocentrus — Echinocereus Engelmanniif 

 variety chrysocentrus) 



(Named "chrysocentrus" from its beautiful golden or light 

 yellow translucent spines) 



How to identify and how it grows 



The physical structure of the Golden Spined Hedgehog 

 Cactus consists of cylindrical stems to fifteen inches in height, 

 tapering off towards the ends or tops and covered with many 

 scalloped ridges on which the radial spines are placed — 

 which, by the way, as usual in all cactus plants, are dangerous 

 because they are so sharp and so thickly intertwined. The 

 scallops of adjacent ridges are interlocking, and light green 

 or yellow. It is here that the areolas, or centers of growth, 

 appear, densely covered with tiny hairs. The spine system 

 is grouped and spreading, with four to seven central spines 

 sometimes three inches in length, often crooked or twisted, 

 and surrounded by smaller radials scattered along the stem 

 ridges, not more than a fourth-inch to an inch long, all thorns 

 of a beautiful golden or light translucent yellow. The 

 spines often vary in their general characteristics, long and 

 short, twisted and bulbous, straight and bent and twisted, 

 flat and grooved, tough and easily broken. The flowers 

 are about the length of a large duck egg, and consist of the 

 usual sepals and petals. The colorings vary from a light 

 pink toning into beautiful deeper lavender tints, then lavender 



