Echinocactus rhodophthalmus Hooker, Bot. Mag. 76: pl. 4486 (1850).
ECHINOCACTUS rhodophthalmus; solitarius subelatus conico-columnaris profunde 8-9 sulcatus, costis obtusis crenato-tuberculatis tuberculis compressis sub-hemisphæricis, areolis obsolete lanatis, aculeis subnovem validis rectis purpureo-fuscis demum pallidis, centrali subduplo majore, calycis tubo obconico squamoso inermi squamis sepalisve ovatis albomarginatis, petalis spathulatis roseis basi intense rubris.
Received from Mr. Staines, who procured it from the neighbourhood of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and we do not find the
description of any species to correspond with it. In its flourishing
state it is exceedingly handsome, the deep red of the base of
the petals forming a ring, as it were, round the densely-clustered
stamens and bright yellow rays of the stigma, adding much to
the beauty of the blossom. It flowers with us in August.
DESCR. Our plants are from four to five inches high, 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; the tubercles are sub-hemisphærical but compressed; the areolæ furnished with obscure
wool: the spines about nine, strong, straight, tapering, flattened,
at first deep purple, afterwards pale and almost colourless, length
from three-quarters of an inch to an inch, mostly spreading, but
the central one, which is much the longest and strongest, stands
forward. The flowers are produced from the summit of the
plant, large, handsome. The calyx-tube (or green portion) about
an inch long, obconical, quite destitute of spines or setæ, but
with the scales or sepals ovate, brown with pale margins, gradually
passing into the long, linear-spathulate, acute, spreading, bright
rose-coloured petals, which have a dark red almost crimson spot
at the base, forming a radiating circle around the column of
stamens and style. Stamens numerous, very compact: filaments white slender: style as long as the stamens: stigma of nine or ten spreading, bright yellow rays, covering the anters.
