white flowers are produced in May or June. For the plant 
from which our figure has been made, Kew is indebted to 
the generosity of Mr. H. J. Elwes, of Colesborne, who 
presented it to the establishment in 1900 as an unnamed 
Cactus from Mexico. 
Descriprion.—Herb, with succulent stems, branching 
from the base; branches elongate, erect procumbent or 
pendulous, sharply 3—5-angled, 3-14 in. thick, pale green, 
the angles slightly sinuately toothed and with white- or 
grey-tomentose swellings. Spines in clusters of 11-15, 
slender, needle-like, 4—7 lin. long, at first white, at length 
brownish. lowers large, white, 6—7 in. across, widely 
campanulately funnel-shaped, the tube above the ovary 
very short. Sepals narrow lanceolate, acute. the inner 
about 3 in. long, the outer much shorter, pale green. 
Petals 2—3-seriate, about 4 in. long, 1 in. wide, lanceolate 
or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or subacute, pure 
white. Stamens numerous; filaments white, anthers pale 
yellowish white. Ovary 14 in. long, beset with spines and 
scales ; stigmas 6-10, pale yellowish white. 
Fig. 1, a group of spines; 2 and 3, anthers from in front and from behind ; 
4, stigmas; 5, sketch of entire plant, showing habit :—1-4 enlarged, 5 much 
reduced, 
ined 
