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Echinocactus (From echinos a hedgehog)

(from echinos, a hedgehog, and Cactus; plants beset with spines like a hedgehog). Hedgehog Thistle. ORD. Cacteae. A large genus of simple, grotesque, fleshy, ovoid or globose, ribbed, leafless, succulent plants. Flowers usually rising from the fascicles of spines at the tops of the ribs; sepals numerous, imbricated, united into a short tube, adnate to the base of the ovary; outer ones bract-like; inner ones petaloid, elongated, spreading. About 200 forms have been described. They are dispersed from Texas and California to Peru and Brazil, but are most numerous in Mexico. For culture, see Cactus.

E. centeterius (many-spined). fl. deep straw-colour, with reddish streaks down the centre; nearly 3in. across; anthers yellow. July. Plant sub-globose; tubercles in fifteen nearly vertical series, confluent, oblong; areolae oval, white, tomentose; outer ten prickles slender, central four stronger. h. 6in. Mexico, 1840. (B. M. 3974.) E. concinnus (neat). fl. yellow. Spring. Plant globose, depressed, glaucescent, with about ten ribs, which are obtuse and sinuately crenated; areolae remotish, woolly; spines setaceous, eight to ten, one of which is longer and stronger. h. 6in. Mexico (?), 1828. (B. M. 4415.) E. corynodes (club-like). fl. rich sulphur-yellow, 2in. in diameter when fully expanded, several from the crown of the plant; tube externally shaggy with brown wool; petals in two or three rows, spathulate, crenate and almost laciniated towards the apex; stamens numerous, pale yellow, crowded around the style; stigma with the rays erect, bright scarlet. Summer. Plant sub-globose, but depressed at the top, and narrowed at the base, deep somewhat glaucous green. The sides are cut into about sixteen deep, vertical furrows, and as many prominent, crenated ridges; the crenatures are from 1/2in. to 3/4in. apart, and in them is lodged a tuft of dense white wool, form which arise seven to nine spreading, rigid, pale brown spines, together with a central erecto-patent one, usually of a uniform deep brown colour. h. 2in. to 3in. Mexico (?), 1837. A very showy species. (B. M. 3906.) E. crispatus (curled). fl. purplish. Summer. Plant obovate or sub-globose, truncate or depressed at summit; sides cut into about a score of vertical, narrow, undulated ridges; young areolae with deciduous white tomentum; outer spines eight or nine, spreading, setaceous, white, with a brown point; four central ones reddish, much larger. for which we are indebted to Herr Fr. Ad. Haage, Jun., of Erfurt.

E. Cummingii (Cumming's). fl. golden-yellow, 1in. in diameter, with a funnel-shaped tube, numerous, sessile. June. Plant nearly globose, greyish-green, contracted slightly at the base; tubercles about 1/3in. in diameter, arranged in spirals, sub-hemispherical; areolae small, nearly circular; outer spines about fifteen to twenty, strict, slender, erecto-patent, pale yellowish, the upper rather the longest, central two or three shorter and stouter. h. 3in. Bolivia, 1847. (B. M. 6097.) E. gibbosus (gibbous). fl. white. July. Plant roundish, deeply sixteen-angled; angles with a remarkable swelling below each parcel of spines. h. 6in. West Indies and Central America, 1808. (B. R. 137.) E. g. nobilis (noble). fl. white. July. Plant deep glossy olive-green, oblong, with fewer angles than in the type; angles and spines middle-sized, straight. h. 2ft. Mexico, 1796.

E. Haynii (Hayne's). fl. brilliant purple-red, very large. Stem cylindrical, light green; twenty-five or more ribs with rounded edges; areolae small, oval, with pearly-grey tomentum; spines very numerous, greyish, with brown point. h. 6in. to 12in. Peru.

E. hexaedrophorus (hexaedron-bearing). fl. white and pale red. June. Plant globose, glaucous, flat at top, tuberculate; tubercles hexaedrous, disposed in two series, vertical and spiral; areolae immersed, tomentose; spines four to seven, radiating, unequal, central one longer and stronger. h. 6in. North Mexico. (B. M. 4311.) E. Le Contei (Le Conte's). fl., petals lemon-yellow, with a brownish tint along the midrib. Plant ovate or cylindrical. Ribs twenty to thirty, compressed, sub-obtuse, interrupted; areolae elongate-oblong; four principal central spines 2in. to 2 1/2in. long; lateral ones more quadrangular. Mexico. A gigantic species, sometimes attaining a height of 5ft., and a diameter of 2ft. for which we are indebted to Herr Fr. Ad. Haage, jun. E. longihamatus (long-hooked). fl. yellow. July. Plant subglobose, green, thirteen-angled. Ribs strong, acutish areolae large, oblong, shortly woolly; outer nine prickles straight, radiating, inner four strong, upper three straight; central one long, flattened, hooked. h. 3in. Texas and Mexico, 1836. (B. M. 4632.) E. multiflorus (many-flowered). fl. white, large. July. Plant globose, rather glaucous, tuberculate, hardly ribbed; tubercles large, mammaeform, disposed in an irregular vertical series; areolae tomentose; prickles five, strong, recurved, nearly equal. h. 1 1/2in. Probably native of Mexico. (B. M. 4181.) E. myriostigma (many-dotted). fl. pale straw-coloured, rising from the umbilicate top of the plant. July. Plant roundish-oblong, five or six-ribbed; ribs prominent; areolae approximate, woolly, unarmed. h. 1ft. Mexico, 1843. SYN. Astrophytum myriostigma. (B. M. 4177.) E. obvallatus (fortified). fl. surrounded by numerous erect spines; petals purple, with a whitish border. Stem obovate, nearly globose, depressed at the summit, with about a score not very prominent vertical ribs. h. 4in to 6in. South Mexico.

E. Ottonis (Otto's). fl. delicate lemon-colour, sessile, in threes or fours upon the summit of the stem, with bright red stigmas. July. Plant orbicular-cylindrical, contracted at the base, with about twelve vertical deep furrows; the ridges between the furrows obtuse, studded with rather closely-set small tufts of reddish wool; from these arise three or four rather strong spines, of a deep purplish-brown colour, which stand forward and are sometimes curved, and several lesser pale-coloured spreading ones. h. 3in. to 4in. Brazil, and probably also Mexico. (B. M. 3107.) E. pectiniferus (pectinated). fl. pale green, rose, solitary, two or more from the same crown, and springing from near the top: large for the size of the plant, very beautiful. April. Plant sub.rotund or ovate, rather suddenly contracted above the middle, depressed and even umbilicated at the top, deeply costate, with about twenty prominent costae, which are obtuse and somewhat mammillose at the margins; in the centre of each mammilla is an oblong, white, woolly, close-placed areola, with numerous rather short spines, whose arrangement is very peculiar. They are of two kinds; the greater number spread out almost horizontally in two rows, closely placed in a pectinated manner, whitish or yellowish-white, tipped with red or brown, almost united at their base, the middle ones the longest; between these two rows are a few smaller ones. h. 4in. Mexico, 1844. A very showy species. (B. M. 4190.) E. Pentlandi (Pentland's). fl. large, in proportion to the size of the plant, springing from the sides upon the ribs, solitary, but three or four are expanded on one specimen at the same time; calyx tube green, becoming yellow above, and beset with small pilose and ciliated scales; limb of the calyx yellow-red; petals deep rose; stamens nearly white. July. Plant nearly globose, sessile, about 2in. across, depressed and umbilicate at the top, deeply marked with about twelve furrows and as many prominent obtuse ribs; glaucous-green. Ribs lobed or remotely crenate, distantly beset with little woolly tufts or areolae (pulvinuli), from which rise about six slightly curved, spreading, rather stout spines, each 1/2in. long, or a little more. (B. M. 4124.) E. Pfeifferi (Pfeiffer's). fl.yellow. Plant between cylindric and globular, about 1ft. high and 9in. in diameter; ridges 1 1/2in. to 2in. deep, and 1 1/2in. across at the base, triangular, deep green; spines in clusters 1in. apart, several, yellowish-white, rigid, about 1in. long. South Mexico. E. rhodophthalmus (red-eyed). fl. produced from the summit of the plant, large, handsome; calyx tube about 1in. long, obconical, quite destitute of spines of setae; sepals or scales ovate, brown, with pale margins; petals bright rose, spreading, long, linear-spathulate, acute; stigma of nine or ten spreading bright yellow rays, covering the anthers. August. Plant sub-columnar, but tapering upwards almost from the base, deeply cut into about eight or nine furrows, the ridges obtuse, but formed into lobes or tubercles by transverse lines; areolae furnished with obscure wool; spines about nine, strong, straight, tapering, flattened, at first deep purple, afterwards pale and almost colourless, mostly spreading, but the central one, which is much the longest and strongest, stands forward. h. 4in. to 5in. San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 1850. (B. M. 4486.) E. Scopa (Broom). fl. yellow, with the petals, which are serrated at top, in two series. April. Plant oblong, many-ribbed; fascicles of spines approximate, woolly at base; outer spines white, twenty to forty, weak; central three or four, purple, stiff. h. 6in. Brazil, 1847. (B. R. xxv.24.) E. Simpsoni (Simpson's). fl. yellowish-green or purple, rather small, but numerous on the upper part of the stem. Plant dwarf, rarely exceeding 6in. to 8in. high, usually much less; tubercles loosely arranged, 1/2in. to 3/4in. long, with several white spreading spines, and a central yellowish one. Colorado, 1876. Nearly or quite hardy. (Gn., April, 1877; G. C. n. s., vi. 293.) E. texensis (Texan). fl. rose-coloured. Plants mostly depressed, sometimes globose; ribs from thirteen to twenty-four; areolae 1/2in. long, and 1in. apart; spines from 1/2in. to 2in. long. North-eastern Mexico, &c. for which we are indebted to Herr Fr. Ad. Haage, jun.

E. tubiflorus (tube-flowered). fl. large, rising from one of the fascicles of spines; tube very long, a little enlarged upwards brownish-green, scaly, each scale with a long tuft of slender. flaccid hairs; petals spreading, white, oblong, much acuminated. Plant sub-globose, much depressed, umbilicated at the top, and deeply cut into about eleven very prominent, compressed, slightly undulated angles, which have five or six woolly tubercles, each giving rise to a fascicle of six to eight strong black spines, from 1/2in. to 3/4in. long. Mexico.(B. M. 3627.) E. Visnaga (Visnaga, among the Mexican settlers, means a toothpick). fl. yellow, numerous. Plant large, elliptical, many-angled, with narrow sinuses and deep sinuated tubercled angles; top very woolly; areolae approximate, rhomboid, immersed, glabrous, pale brown; prickles four, strong, central one 2in. long, the other three deflexed, shorter. h. 7ft. Mexico, 1847. A plant of this species, which measured 9 1/2ft. in circumference, and weighed one ton, was an inmate of the succulent house at Kew, in 1846. From injury sustained during its conveyance to England, it did not long survive. (B. M. 4559.) E. Williamsii (Williams's). fl. pale greenish-rose, small, nearly solitary. Spring. Plant tufted, depressed, glaucous, six to eight-ribbed; ribs broad, convex, tubercled, unarmed. h. 3in. Mexico 1845. (B. M. 4296.)