MEDIOCACTUS. 



211 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



Flowers 25 to 30 cm. long; eastern coast of South America 



Flowers 38 cm. long; western Andes 



1. Mediocactus coccineus (Salm-Dyck). 



Cereus coccineus Salm-Dyck in De Candolle, Proclr. 3: 469. 1828. 

 Cereus setaceus Salm-Dyck in De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 469. 1828 

 Cereus setaceus viridior Salm-Dyck, Hort. Dyck. 65. 1834. 

 Cereus lindbergianus Weber in Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 151. 1897. 

 Cereus lindmanii Weber in Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 163. 1897. 

 Cereus hasslcri Schumann, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 10: 45. 1900. 



Stems usually climbing on trees, sometimes 

 clambering over rocks or walls, developing 

 many aerial roots, the joints pale green, various, 

 sometimes 8 cm. broad, of ten only 2 cm. broad; 

 angles usually 3, but sometimes 4 or evens on 

 the same plant; young areoles 5 to 10 mm. 

 apart, bearing brown felt and 10 to 15 white, 

 radial, deciduous bristles followed by several 

 spines; areoles of mature branches 2 to 3 cm. 

 apart; spines at first pinkish, then brown or 

 yellowish brown, conic, i to 2 mm. long, more 

 or less swollen at base, usually only 2 or 3, 

 sometimes more, rarely only i ; flowers 25 1030 

 cm. long; outer perianth-segments linear, green, 

 widely spreading; inner perianth-segments 

 erect, broader than outer, upper margins 

 serrate; style exserted, yellow; stigma-lobes 

 about 1 6, linear, entire, yellow; the fruit 

 somewhat pointed, 7 cm. long, edible, strongly 

 tuberculate when young, its areoles bearing a 

 cluster of spines i to 2 cm. long; flesh white; 

 seeds black. 



Type locality: Brazil. 



Distribution: Argentina to Brazil. 



All writers on the Cactaccac, including 

 Salm-Dyck, are agreed that the Cereus cocci- 

 neus described by De Candolle (Prodr. 3: 

 469. 1828) is different from the plant after- 



. i. M. coccineus 

 .2. M. megalanthus 



FIG. 290. Mediocactus coccineus. 



FIG. 29 1 . Mediocactus coccineus. 



