162 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



or fruit. On Magdalena Island dried abortive spiny fruit 

 can be found entangled in the heads. Apparently the same 

 species, less robust, grows on the cliffs of Comondu. It 

 resembles the variable C. phoeniceus of Colorado. 



Cereus maritimus M. E. Jones. — El Eosario. 



Cereus Engelmanni Parry.— High mesas. San Julio, San 

 Pablo. 



Cereus Emoryi Engelm. — Las Huevitas, El Eosario. 



Cereus gummosus Engelm. Mr. Orcutt informs me that 

 Dr. Engelmann gave the name to this species, and death 

 prevented him from publishing it. This is the " pitahaya" 

 of Southern Lower California, the fruit of which is held in 

 such high esteem. It blossoms in April and ripens its 

 fruit in the fall. The flowers are 4-5 inches long, purple 

 and handsome. The bruised stems are used for stupefying 

 £sh. — Throughout the entire region traversed, abundant. 



Cereus Cochal Orcutt. The color of the plants is rather 

 light green; they are much branched from the base, the 

 spines are short and few, and the flowers small and incon- 

 spicuous. — From the high mesas of Comondu to San Fer- 

 nando. 



Cereus Pringlei Watson. "Cardon." Spines some- 

 times nearly two inches long. It grows to a height of fifty 

 feet, and in some localities forms forests, with the numerous 

 flowers generally growing upon the sun-exposed side. 

 Near the coast, and on Santa Margarita Island fish hawks 

 build their nests upon the top. — Seen throughout the whole 

 region nearly to San Quintin. 



Cereus Thurberi Engelm. "Pitahaya dulce." Begins to 

 bloom in May, and later in the season matures a fine lus- 

 cious fruit. About Comondu the stems, which grow to a 

 height of fifteen feet, are cut green, and when dry furnish 

 fuel for making sugar '^pinoche." — Common northward to 

 San Fernando. 



