CACTI 113 
C. speciosissimus, two very gorgeous flowered day 
blooming sorts, remain longer, but they are not so 
hardy as most of the other cacti. Opuntia, the 
Indian fig, is another flowering sort, though not so 
valuable. They are grotesque in shape and the 
flowers, which are various shades of red or yellow 
and two inches or so across, according to variety, 
look as though they had been stuck onto the plant. 
Of the other cacti commonly grown most are of 
dwarf form and a single window will accommodate 
quite a number of them. 
Echinocactus, the Hedge-hog cactus, is one of the 
best known of these. FE. myriostigma, the Bishop’s 
Cap, is a quite familiar variety. 
Echinopsis, the Sea-urchin cactus, is another queer 
dwarf type. The flowers seem much too large for 
the plants, being sometimes half a foot long. They 
are lily-shaped and rose pink or white, according to 
variety. 
Pilocereus senilis, the Old Man cactus, is another 
sort which always attracts attention in any collec- 
tion. The stem is covered with fine white hairy 
spines, three to five inches long, which give it a 
very peculiar appearance. When kept in the house 
the hairs are likely to become dusty and grimy. 
They may be protected by cutting two panes of glass 
into four long pieces, just wide enough to square 
the pot, and enclosing it, putting a fifth piece over 
the top. 
