Echinocactus rhodophthalmus var. ellipticus Hooker, Bot. Mag. 78: pl. 4634 (1852).
ECHINOCACTUS rhodophthalmus. (For specific character and description, see TAB. 4486.)
Var. ellipticus; basi contractus; spinis rubescentibus.
It was not till all the plates were worked off for publication
that we ascertained that this Mexican Echinocactus was specifically the same as that we have given at our Tab. 4486, differing
almost solely in its smaller size, more elliptical form, i. e., with
the base contracted instead of spreading so as to give a conical
form to the stock, and in the redder colour of the spines. We
can only consider it as a variety of a groupe of plants which is
very apt to sport.
