216 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
CEREUS. About 200 species of this genus are known, 
natives of tropical and sub-tropical America, the West 
Indies, and the Galapagos Islands. (See also Echinopsis 
and Pilocereus, which are included under Cereus by the 
authors of the “Genera Plantarum.”) 
For cultural purposes this large genus may be divided 
into Night- Flowering, Semi-Scandent, and Globose or 
Columnar-stemmed species. 
Nicut-FLowrerimne Specres. The most interesting 
group is that of the climbing night-flowering kinds, on 
account of their singular habit of expanding their flowers 
in the dark, and of the very large size and brilliant colours 
of their flowers. In habit the plants of this set are 
trailers or climbers ; their stems are either round or angled, 
and grow to a length of many feet, branching freely as 
they extend. By means of their roots, which are freely 
formed upon the stems,,and which have the power of 
attaching themselves to stones or wood in the same way 
as Ivy does, these kinds soon spread over and cover a large 
space; they are, therefore, useful for training over the 
back walls in lean-to houses, or for growing against rafters 
or pillars—in fact, in any position exposed 
to bright sunlight and where there is a good 
circulation of air. Soil does not appear to 
play an important part with these plants, 
as they will grow anywhere where there is a 
little brick rubble, gravel, or cinders for 
their basal roots to nestle in. They have 
been grown in the greatest luxuriance, and 
have produced flowers in abundance with 
nothing more than their roots buried in the 
crumbling foundations of an old wall, upon 
which the stems were clinging. The chief 
consideration is drainage, as, unless the 
roots are kept clear of anything like stag- 
nation, they soon perish through rot. During 
the summer the stems should be syringed 
morning and evening on all bright days, 
whilst in winter little or no water will be 
required. 
Like all other Cactuses, these plants may be propagated 
by means of large branches, which, if placed in a porous 
soil, will strike root in a few weeks. 
Semi-ScanpDEntT Species. These are characterised by a 
thin, drooping or trailing stem, and, though not strictly 
climbers, they may most fittingly be considered in a group 
by themselves. Some botanists have made a separate 
genus for them, viz., Cleistocactus, but for all practical 
purposes they may be grouped under the above heading, 
whilst popularly they are known as the Rat’s-tail or 
Whipcord Cactuses. Two of them—viz., C. flagelliformis 
and C. Mallisoni—are generally grafted on the stem of 
some erect, slender Cereus or Pereskia; or they may be 
worked on to the stem of a climbing Cereus, such as 
C. triangularis, in such a way as to hang from the roof of 
a house. A large specimen of C. flagelliformis, growing 
from the climbing stem of C. rostratus, was, for a long 
time, conspicuous among the Cactuses at Kew, but, owing 
to the decay of the “stock” plant, this fine specimen no 
longer exists. A large Pereskia, trained along the roof in 
the Cactus-house at Kew, was grafted with a number of 
pieces of OC. flagelliformis. In the same establish- 
ment a specimen of C. Mallisoni was grafted on the 
stem of another kind, and is very attractive when in flower. * 
C, serpentinus thrives well upon its own roots. For the 
cultivation of this little group, the instructions given for 
the climbing and other kinds may be followed. 
GLOBOSE AND COLUMNAR-STEMMED Species. Many 
of these are unsuited for culture in ordinary plant-houses, 
whilst others are so rare that, although cultivated in 
botanical collections, they are not available for ordinary 
gardens, not being known in the trade. There are, how- 
ever, a good many species that may be obtained from 
dealers in Cactuses, and to these we shall confine ourselves 
Cereus—continued. 
here. At Kew, the collection of Cerenses is large and 
diversified, some of the specimens being as tall as the house 
they are in will allow them to be, and the appearance they 
present is, to some eyes at least, a very attractive one. 
Such plants are: C. candicans, which is a cluster-stemmed 
kind, very thick and fleshy, and in shape like an Indian 
club; C. chiliensis, with tall hedgehog-skinned stems, the 
numerous ridges being thickly clothed with clusters of 
yellowish spines, which become dark-brown with age; 
C. Dyckii, 10ft. high, the stems thick and fleshy, with 
ridges 1}in. deep ; C. gemmatus, a hexagonal, almost naked- 
stemmed species 10ft. high: C. strictus, 0. perwvianus, 
C. geometrizans, and C. Jamacaru, which are tall, weird- 
looking plants, 10ft. or more high, some of them freely 
branched. : 
To those described on pp. 299-300, Vol. I., the following 
should be added: 
C. aggregatus (clustered). A synonym of C. pheeniceus. 
C. Berlandieri (Berlandier’s).* ji. 4in. across, produced on the 
young, upright stems; petals bright purple, strap-shaped, in an 
Fic. 226. PORTION OF PLANT, WITH FLOWER, OF CEREUS 
BERLANDIERI. 
irregular ring; stamens rose-coloured, clustered. Summer. 
Stems sae ey not more than 6in. long and jin. thick, 
bearing, along the ridges, little tubercles, crowned with short 
spines. South Texas and Mexico. Plant dwarf, creeping, very 
soft and watery. See Fig. 226. 
C. Blankii (Blank’s). This only differs from C. Berlandieri in 
having deep rose flowers, flushed with crimson, and longer, 
broader, can less spreading petals. Summer. Mexico (at high 
elevations). See Fig. 227. 
C. czerulescens (bluish). i. about Sin. long, springing from the 
ridges; tube reddish-green; petals white, spreading, with 
toothed margins; stamens arranged in a sort of cup; anthers 
i 
