APOROCACTUS. 



217 



Fit;. ^96. Werckleocerei 



8. APOROCACTUS Lemaire, Illustr. Hort. 7: Misc. 67. 1860. 



Slender, vine-like cacti, creeping or clambering, sending out aerial roots freely, day-blooming; 

 flowers rather small, one at an areole, funnelform, pink to red, the tube nearly straight, or bent just 

 above the ovary, the limb somewhat oblique; outer perianth-segments linear, spreading or recurved, 

 scattered; inner perianth-segments broad, more compact than the outer perianth-segments; stamens 

 exserted, in a single, somewhat i -sided cluster; filaments attached all along the throat; tube proper 

 about the length of the narrow throat; fruit globose, small, reddish, setose; seeds few, reddish brown, 

 obovate. 



We recognize 5 species, the typical one being Cactus flagelliformis Linnaeus. 



This genus, first described by Lemaire, included not only the typical A. flagelliformis, 

 but also Cereus baumannii and C. colubrinus, but the next year he withdrew the last two 

 species. The name has never come into very general use, in spite of the good generic char- 

 acters. The geographical distribution of the genus is uncertain. Three of the species are 

 known to grow wild in Mexico, while A. flagelliformis, also common in Mexico, was very 

 early introduced into Europe as from South America. 



The name is from the Greek, signifying impenetrable cactus, of no obvious application. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



Flowers strongly bent just above the ovary. 



Branches very slender; ribs 7 or 8 I. A. leptoplris 



Branches stouter; ribs 10 to 12. 



Outer perianth-segments narrow; inner perianth-segments apiculate 2. A. flagelliformis 



Outer perianth-segments oblong; inner perianth-segments acuminate 3. A . flagriformis 



Flowers nearly straight. 



Inner perianth-segments acute 4. A. conzattii 



Inner perianth-segments acuminate 5. A. martianus 



