Oval to cylindrical (7.5 cm. in diameter, sometimes 20 to 22.5 cm. high), with 20 to 25 gray radial spines almost in two series, 6 to 9 stouter reddish or brownish-tipped centrals (12 to 25 mm. long), and yellowish or greenish-yellow flowers 3.5 cm. long and wide.Type: Southern Utah specimens of both Parry and Johnson occur in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard., but they are all referred to C. radiosus arizonicus, and I can find no trace of any specimens of C. radiosus chloranthus in the Engelmann collection.
Southern Utah, east of St. George (Parry; Johnson).
The plant is evidently near C. radiosus deserti, of which variety it seems to be the Utah representative, but in the absence not only of the type, but even of authentic specimens, the two are kept separate, a thing fully justified by the description.
63.Cactus radiosus alversoni, var. nov.
Differs from var. deserti in its more robust and branching habit (becoming 12.5 cm. tall and 10 cm. in diameter), shorter and thickertubercles, more numerous (12 to 14 centrals) stouter and longer (12 to 22 mm.) spines, all of which are black-tipped (the centrals black half way down, shading into red), and pink flowers.Type, Alverson's specimens in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. and in Herb. Coulter.
In the desert region of extreme southeastern California.
Specimens examined: Southern California (A. H. Alverson of 1892): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
The covering of stout bushy interlocking spines is like that of var. deserti, but the black and reddish coloration gives a decidedly different appearance.On account of this appearance of a reddish-black brush the plant has been popularly called "foxtail cactus."The decidedly pink flowers were sent by Mr. S. B. Parish from specimens growing in cultivation in San Diego, and are not from the original collection of Mr. Alverson.
64.Cactus macromeris(Engelm.) Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891). Mamillaria macromerisEngelm. Wisliz. Rep. 13 (1848). Mamillaria heteromorphaScheer in Salm. Cact. Hort. Dyck. 128 (1850). MamillariadactylitheleLabouret, Monogr. Cact. 146 (1858).
Ovate or cylindrical, 5 to 10 cm. high, simple or branching from the base and at length cespitose: tubercles large, loose and spreading, from a dilated base, more or less elongated (12 to 30 mm.) and teretish (often incurved), the groove absent in young plants and never reaching the axil: radial spines 10 to 17, slender and terete, or stouter and often angled, spreading, 12 to 40 mm. long, whitish (or more or less rose-colored when young), straight or a little curved; central spines 4 (or fewer in young plants or even wanting), spreading, 25 to 55 mm. long, stouter, bulbous at base, mostly black (the lowest the longest and stoutest), straight or sometimes curved or twisted: flowers 6 to 7.5 cm. long and of same diameter, deep red to purple: fruit ovate-subglobose, green, 15 to 25 mm, long: seeds globose-obovate, yellow, and smooth. 1.2 to 1.6 mm. long. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 14 and 15)Type, Wislizenus of 1846 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Mostly in loose sand, in the valley of the Rio Grande (on both sides of the river), from southern New Mexico to Eagle Pass, Texas, and doubtlessfurther down.
Specimens examined: New Mexico (Wislizenus of 1846; Wright 384, 531, of 1852; G. R. Vasey of 1881): Texas (Wright of 1850, 1851, 1852; Bigelow of 1852): Chihuahua (Evans of 1891; Budd of 1891): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
This species shows an interesting transition from Coryphantha to Echinocactus.The woolly groove of the Coryphantha extends from the spine-bearing areola to the axil of the tubercle, where it expands into the flower-bearing areola.In C. macromeris the groove extends only about half way down the tubercle and gives origin to the flower-bearing areola on the side of the tubercle; while in Echinocactus the flower-bearing areola becomes adjacent to the spine-bearing areola and the flower appears at the summit of the tubercle.
