The California Barrel Cactus, _Echinocactus acanthodes_, grows in arid, gravelly or rocky foothills and arroyos on the deserts of southeastern California in the Imperial Valley, and in northern Lower California. This species grew formerly in great abundance on the rocky, gravelly mesas of the Coachella Desert near Palm Springs, California; now, however, many of the fine large specimens have been removed, and the sticky pulp of the stems utilized for cactus candy manufacture. The name _acanthodes_ refers to its many spines, a gray-yellow fringe of seven or eight stout needlelike bristles, and eight or nine pink and yellow banded radial and central thorns one to two inches long, the lowest one sharply hooked. The plants grow nine feet tall at times, occasionally only a foot or so in height, generally with single stems seven to twelve inches in diameter according to age; the flowers are bell-shaped, blossoms of rare beauty giving a lovely golden cast to the landscape in April and May; the fruit is borne in a circle of greenish yellow suffused with purple, around the tops of the stems, and matures in July. Many Hooked Visnagita (_Echinocactus polyancistrus_) _Southeastern California, Western Arizona, and Southern Nevada_ The meaning of _polyancistrus_ is “many fishhooks”; but why should there be fishhooks on the desert? _Echinocactus polyancistrus_ is a very interesting and showy Visnagita growing on mesas and deserts; though widely distributed, it never appears in abundance, and is rather rare. It is densely and conspicuously spiny, covered with sharp needlelike thorns placed radially, a half-inch long or longer, dangerously hooked, spreading, and very formidable; resembling the common fishhook and far more fearful. This cactus is most conspicuous and attractive in its white shining armor of spines. The blossoms are large and showy and remain open for several days. At first rose-purple, they change to a deep crimson, while the throat of the flower is broad and covered with yellow stamens; the styles are bright red, and even the mature fruit is a brilliant red. The flowers grow in clusters from near the tops of the plants and create a splash of fiery crimson over the mesas, beautiful to behold, flaming against the dark background of mesquite and sagebrush and other desert cacti. Green Stemmed Visnaga (_Echinocactus viridescens_) _Southern California and Lower California_