FRAILEA Br. et R.

Small plants, globular or cylindrical, often sprouting and forming groups, rounded at the top or depressed. Ribs many, low, notched into warts, with small slender spines. Flowers small at the top of the plant, scaly, with wool and bristles; fruit likewise covered with scales, wool and bristles. Seeds black or brown, glossy, triangular and concave on one side. The flowers are often cleif;!togamous (i .e. setting fruit without the flower opening). Includes 10 species, all miniature plants natives of South America. All require half shade, and grow better when grafted.
    Frailea colombiana Backbg. = Echinocactus colombianus Werd. Colombia (near Dagua). Solitary or branching, forming flat groups; stem globular or oval, up to 4 cm. thick, glossy grass green. Ribs about 18, low, divided into low warts, up to i cm. apart, bearing minute areoles with whitish or brownish wool. Radial spines 15 to 20, bristle-like and flexible, less than 1/2 cm. long, spreading around almost comb-like, yellowish passing to greyish white. Central spines 2 to 5, hardly different from the radials, the lowermost just over i cm. in length. Flowers borne - at the centre, about 2 1/2 cm. long. Ovary and tube with scales, having greyish wool and 1 or 2 dark brown bristles in their axils. Inner petals yellow or yellow with a greenish sheen.
    Frailea pumila (Lem.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus pumilus Lem. Paraguay and Argentina. Stem subglobular, flattened and depressed at the centre, sprouting around the base, dark green, 3 cm. broad, and 2 cm. high, with 13 to 15 flat ribs, very lightly notched. Areoles up to 1/2 cm. apart, round, small, with short brownish wool. Radial spines 12 to 14, up to 1/2 cm. long, greyish brown, mostly curved, quite soft. Central spines 1 or 2, similar to the radials, slightly longer and curved. Flowers many, cleistogamous, or opening only at midday, when the sun shines upon them. Petals brownish green, the inner ones spathulate, yellow. Stamens yellowish, style greenish, stigma with 5 yellow lobes.
    Frailea gracillima (Lem.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus gracillimus Lem. Paraguay. Stem globular to cylindrical, 4 to 10 cm. high, and up to 3 cm. thick, olive green or greyish green, often sprouting around the base, with 12 to 14 ribs, straight or slightly spiral at the centre, which is depressed. Ribs flat, divided into low round warts, bearing small round areoles, at first whitish passing to brownish or greyish. Radial spines about 16, very short and curved, glassy white; central spines mostly 2, stronger and darker. Flowers 3 cm. long with whitish wool and brown bristles, outer petals reddish on the outer side, inner petals linear, pale yellow, toothed, red on the throat. Stamens and style white, stigma white with 13 lobes. Seed glossy yellowish brown, pitted.
    Frailea schilinzkyana (F. Haage jr.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus schilinzkyanus F. Haage jr. Paraguay and Argentina. Plant freely sprouting around the base, with a thick conical tap-root; stem globular, depressed, pale green passing to greyish green, 2 to 4 cm. across. Ribs 10 to 13, very flat, warts low, with elongated small areoles, less than l cm. apart. Spines 12 to 14, spreading, thin, 2 to 3 mm. long, black, curved backwards, falling off with age. Flowers 3l cm. long, almost always cleistogamous. Ovary and tube with brown scales, white wool and 1 or 2 brown bristles : outer petals yellow, reddish on the outer side ; inner petals spathulate-acute, sulphur yellow. Stamens yellowish, style and stigma white. Seeds brown, lightly pitted.
    Frailea grahliana (F. Haage jr.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus grahlianus F. Haagejr. Paraguay. Plant freely sprouting around the base. Stem globular, flattened and depressed, 3 to 4 cm. broad, brownish green, with 13 straight ribs, very low, cut into round low warts, bearing oval areoles, with 9 to 11 curved spines, less than l cm. long, at first yellow. Flowers 4 cm. broad, lively yellow. Fruit yellowish, with reddish brown scales, yellowish wool and small yellow bristles. Seeds glossy brown, lightly pitted. The form rubrispina Hort. has reddish brown spines.
    Frailea pygmaea (Speg.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus pygmaeus Speg. Uruguay and Argentina. Stem globular, depressed at the centre, 1 to 3 cm. thick, dull dark green, freely sprouting, with 13 to 21 ribs, cut into warts. Spines 6 to 9, thin, bristle-l_ike, whitish, tortuous and curved backwards, 1 to4 mm. long. Flowers 2 to 2 l/2 cm. long, mostly cleistogamous, with wool and bristles on the outer side, yellow lanceolate inner petals, stigma with 6 to 7 yellowish lo bes.
    Frailea Dadakii (Frič.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus Dadakii Frič. Uruguay and Argentina. Similar to the preceding. Stem with 12 ribs. Spines 8, brownish passing to white, curved backward and twisted.
    Frailea pulcherrima (Lem.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus pulcherrimus Lem. Paraguay, Argentina. Stem dark green, very freely sprouting at the base, 2 to 2 1/2 cm. broad, depressed at the centre. Warts very low. Areoles small, with greyish wool. Spines 14, pale brown, reflexed on the stem. One central spine, often absent, straight and stronger.
    Frailea knippeliana (Quehl.) Br. et R. = Echinocactus knippelianus Quehl. Paraguay. Stem solitary, elongated, 4 cm. high, 2 to 3 cm. thick, glossy grass green, with 15 ribs divided into round low warts, bearing round areoles with yellowish wool and a few whitish bristles. Spines 16, amber yellow; the radials short and curved, the 2 to 4 centrals darker and longer, up to 1 cm. long. All spines later passing to greyish, and finally dropping off the corky areoles. Flowers up to 2l cm. long, opening only when in full sun, outside streaked red, inside yellow. Seeds brown.
    Frailea cataphracta (Dams) Br. et R. = Echinocactus cataphractus Dams. Paraguay. Stem globular depressed, sprouting around the base, up to 4 cm. thick. Ribs 15, notched into low flat warts, with areoles about 3 mm. apart, with their lower half marked with crescent-shaped brown or violet spot. Radial spines 5, directed backwards and laterally, slender, up to 2 mm. long, golden yellow, passing to greyish. Central spines absent. Flowers about 4 cm. long, and about the same across, mostly cleistogamous. Ovary and tube with brownish scales and greyish wool ; outer petals greenish with darker median band; inner petals pale yellow, pink at the throat. Stamens, style and lobes of stigma pale yellow. Fruit round, 4 mm. thick, with yellowish scales and pale brown hairs. Seeds large, glossy black.