46 



CALANDRIXIA. 



seems parched up for six montlis in ] 

 every year, the Cacti have been 

 mercifully provided to serve as re- 

 servoirs of moisture ; and not only 

 the natives, by wounding the fleshy 

 stems with their long forest-knives, 

 supply themselves with a cool and 

 refreshing juice, but even the cattle 

 contrive to break through the skin 

 with their hoofs, and then to suck 

 the I'quid they contain — instinct 

 teaching them to avoid wounding 

 themselves with the spines. 



The Cacti are arranged by nature 

 in several distinct groups ; the first 

 of which consists of the tree Cacti, 

 or those kinds of Cereus which have 

 long slender stems, and which 

 usually grow on the summits of the 

 mountains of Brazil, forming a sin- 

 gular kind of crest. These are 

 generally thirty or forty feet high, 

 and sometimes are branched like 

 candelabra, and sometimes consist 

 of only one naked stem, not thicker 

 than a man's arm, though of such 

 enormous height. The Mammil- 

 larias, and Echinocacti, or Porcu- 

 pine Cacti, which form another 

 group, grow in the valleys of the 

 temperate regions, generally in 

 loamy soils, and low grass ; and the 

 Opuntias and Pereskias, which form 

 two others, are also principally 

 found in the temperate latitudes. 

 The Melocacti, or ^Melon-Cacti, and 

 the Rhipsalis, which has narrow- 

 jointed stems, are two other groups 

 which are only found in the hottest 

 parts of the tropics. Among the 

 many peculiarities of this family of 

 plants, it may be mentioned, that 

 if collectors cut off the top of any of 

 the Cacti which they may find in 

 flower, and send it with the flower 

 on it to England, the seeds will 

 perfect themselves, and ripen on 

 the passage home, from the supply 

 of moisture contained in the divided 

 part. 



With regard to the culture of the 

 Cacti in this country, it is found 

 that, generally speaking, they ought 

 to have a season of complete rest, 

 followed by one of violent excite- 

 ment ; that is, they ought to be 

 kept almost v/ithout Avater from 

 October to ]\rarch, and then watered 

 profusely while they are coming 

 into flower. They ought all to 

 be grown in pots well drained 

 with cinders, instead of potsherds, 

 as the latter retain too much mois- 

 ture for the delicate and succulent 

 roots ; and they all enjoy bottom - 

 heat, which makes them throw out 

 abundance of fibrils. When re- 

 ceived late in the year, that is to say 

 in October or later, they should not 

 be potted tiU the following spring ; 

 and when raised from seed (which 

 is frequently sent over even in dead 

 specimens), the seed should be sown 

 in silver sand, and the young plants 

 when transplanted should not be 

 watered for several days. 



C^SALPi'xiA Pluk. — Legumin- 

 bsce. — The splendidly - flowering 

 plant, known in the West Indies by 

 the name of the Barbadoes Flower- 

 fence, which v/as formerly included 

 in this genus, is now called Poin- 

 ciana. It should be grown in a 

 mixture of loam and peat, with 

 abundance of room for its roots ; 

 and though generally considered a 

 stove-plant, it is found to live in 

 the open air in London and Paris, 

 if slightly protected during winter. 

 It is propagated by cuttings struck 

 in sand, in a moist heat under 

 glass. The other plants belonging 

 to the genus are seldom found in 

 British gardens. 



Cala'mpelis J). Don. — See Ec- 

 ceejioca'rpus. 



Calandri'nia. — PortulacecB. — 

 PeruA-ian and Californian plants, 

 with fleshy leaves and showy flowers, 

 generally treated as annuals in the 



