Later in the season, the large cordate leaves are quite conspicuous, and cause people to wonder what may have been the flower of so fine a vine.
TURK'S-HEAD CACTUS. TURBAN CACTUS.
Echinocactus viridescens, Nutt. Cactus Family.
Depressed, hemispherical, fleshy, leafless plants, with from thirteen to twenty-one prominent, vertical ribs, bearing groups of rigid spines; usually less than a foot in diameter. Spines.—Straight or recurved; stout; reddish; transversely ribbed or ringed. Flowers.—Sessile; borne about the depressed woolly center; yellowish-green; about eighteen lines long. Sepals.—Many; closely imbricated; merging into the numerous, oblong, scarious petals; sometimes nerved with red. Stamens.—Very many. Ovary.—One-celled. Stigmas twelve to fifteen; linear. Berry.—Pulpy; green; scaly. Hab.—From San Diego inland.
[DUTCHMAN'S PIPE—Aristolochia Californica.]
![[DUTCHMAN'S PIPE—Aristolochia Californica.]](#3624944100741987669_f145.png.id-2532482105660285799.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
The Turk's-head cactus looks very much like the end of a watermelon protruding from the ground, if one could imagine a watermelon deeply furrowed and furnished with very formidable spines.
This plant is abundant near San Diego, growing all over the mesas; and it is marvelous that horses and cattle are not more often injured by stepping upon these disagreeable, horrent globes; but long experience has doubtless taught them the instinct of caution.
The plant is really beautiful when crowned with its circle of gauzy, yellow-green flowers, which are more like some exquisite artificial fabrication than real flowers. The fruit of this cactus is slightly acid and rather pleasant.
The plant is cultivated in Europe under the name of Echinocactus Californicus.