1877.] 



AND HOB TIG UL Tunis T. 



251 



happy recollections. They always remind the 

 writer of brighter days gone by, and on that ac- 

 count, will ever be kindly remembered. They 

 are a most (if not the most) beautiful and curious 

 genus of succulents known. Whatever has pre- 

 viously been said of a pleasant nature concern- 

 ing others, or which may follow, in the way of 

 admiration of the remainder, specially applies 

 to them. If they are a diminutive race, their 

 charms are by no means curtailed, or their beau- 

 ties in the least abridged, in consequence. These 

 pretty cactacean Liliputs are very attractive, and 

 are altogether lovely. There is a long list of 

 them, too long to give, so I will single out but a 

 few, viz. : M. conica, M. simplex, M. lanifera, 

 M. longimamma, M. ambigua, M. quadrata, 

 M. caudata, M. erecta, M. grandis, M. pulcherri- 

 ma, M. pyramidalis, M. coronata, M. columna- 

 ris, M. magnimamma, M. nivosa, M. tenuis, and 

 M. stellata, " the star, of the goodly company." 



Of the fiat smooth-stemmed Epiphyllums, 

 were such favorites as E. crenatum, E. spectabile, 

 E. elegans, E. speciosum, E. Akermanii, and 

 fulgens. The well-known lobster's claw cactus, 

 E. truncatum, is one of them. Worked on to up- 

 right stocks of Pereskia aculeata, or Cereus tri- 

 queter, they form exceedingly handsome speci- 

 mens. They are very profuse bloomers during 

 the winter months. One very remarkable plant, 

 especially, seems in ideality, to be within reach 

 of the writer; and its very odd companion, Tes- 

 tudinaria Elephantipes, or elephant's foot. The 

 last named, was an enormous sized specimen, 

 and looked much like a huge tortoise, or turtle, 

 squatting on the top of a tub. Although not 

 considered a succulent proper, as it belongs to 

 the Dioscorea, or Yam family, it was, neverthe- 

 less, appropriate enough for the company it 

 kept. The abnormal appearance of the yamy 

 monstrosity was weird in the extreme. Its age, 

 might be dated from a " time whereof the mem- 

 ory of man runneth not to the contrary." 



Less peculiar, though much more beautiful, 

 were the Crassulas, Rocheas, and Kalosanthuses, 

 which are first-rate flowering plants, and were 

 real greenhouse glories of the olden time. 



Echeveria gibbiflora, E. coccinea, E. lurida, 

 and E. coespitosa, were the only ones I remem- 

 ber there. The more modern kinds, such as 

 E. agavoides, E. glauca, E. farinosa, E. metallica, 

 E. lucida, E. pulverulenta, &c.., were then un- 

 known. They need no praising, as all plant 

 lovers know how beautiful they are. Their effect 

 i« very striking as now used in the decoration of 



the flower garden ; and especially is their beauty 

 enhanced, when judiciously combined with Aloes, 

 and Sempervivums, of which some excellent 

 kinds are ofTered. 



Sempervivum, to live forever, as its name im- 

 plies. What a train of reflections seems to start 

 up, at the mention of the name. Under the un- 

 assuming name of house-leek, S. tectorum is well- 

 known. It is often seen flourishing on the cot- 

 tage-roofs of the industrious, though poor people, n 

 of Great Britain. The simple-minded, yet, good 

 housewife, regards it as a plant of considerable 

 importance ; and well she may, when she knows 

 it is so lucky, to have one. A few old stagers 

 I will mention, for instance, S. tabulseforme, or 

 table formed, is very much like a round table 

 and would be, I should think, just such a one as 

 any little fairy would select, to furnish a ferny 

 bower S. arachnoideum, is a little gray colored 

 curio, and will bear a close inspection, as it ap- 

 pears to be covered with cobwebs. S. tortuosum, is 

 ofthe grotesque order; while S. arboreum,and its 

 variegated mate, are of the shrubby, or tree type. 

 S. barbatum, if not quite as hairy as Esau, is 

 stout and " bearded like the pard." These very 

 pretty, tidy, rosette-like plants, were as much ad- 

 mired then as ry)w. 



There is a legion of such varied singularities as 

 Anacampseros, Cotyledon, Anhalonium, Anigos- 

 anthus, Phyllocactus, Apicra, Lepismium, Ma- 

 lacocarpus, Xananthos, Stapelia, Pelecephom, 

 Pedilanthus, Leuchtenbergia, Haworthias, Gas- 

 terias, &c., to which I can but briefly allude. 

 There is also a long list of names in the Euphor- 

 bia family, many of which are very beautiful, 

 and decidedly rank among the chieftains of the 

 succulent house. Some of them are of most ec- 

 centric growth, and are altogether as multiform 

 and abnormal, as any others previously men- 

 tioned. With the inspissated juice of E. hcpta- 

 gona, the ^Ethiopians are said to poison their 

 arrows. While E. balsamifera is as wholesome 

 and palatable as new milk. E. squamosa, E. cere- 

 iformis, and E. trigona, are of the heavy calibre, 

 or ponderous types of the genus. E. antiquorum, 

 had a very antiquated look. Its appearance 

 was sober and solid ; one of the oddities of a very 

 odd order, and seemed as if it might be one of 

 the survivors of Noachian times. It produces 

 the drug known as Euphorbia. E. Caput-Medu- 

 sse, or Medusae's head, was a droll-looking char- 

 acter; having far more heads than Janus had 

 faces. It was well it had no poll-tax to pay. It 

 confronted the visitor at the door, and never 



