300 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Cereus continued. 



C. nycticalus (night - flowering) fl. white, opening at night, 

 scentless, similar in form to, but larger than, those of C. graiuii- 

 flortis. Plant with sub-erect, long, jointed, climbing branches, 

 some cylindrical with four to five series of spines, others with 

 from four to six ribs. Spines small, very rigid, each cluster con- 

 taining about four, mixed with white, often deciduous setae. 

 Mexico. Suitable for planting against the wall of a warm green- 

 house. See Fig. 408. 



C. pcntagonus (five-angled).* /. white, large. July. Plant 

 erect, jointed, slender, pale green, flve-angled ; ribs repand ; 

 prickles naked at the base, nearly equal, slender, straw-coloured, 

 with five to six radiating ones in each fascicle, and one central 

 one. Stems varying, with three, four, or ttve angles, h. 3ft. 

 South America, 1769. 



C. pleiogonus (many-starnened). fl. purplish-red. Plant light 

 olive-green, erect, cylindrical, with about thirteen very small 

 ribs ; the areolae are slightly swollen at the summit, then form 

 small tubercles more and more distinct until, at the base, the ribs 

 almost completely disappear. Spines about thirteen, the exterior 

 ones radiating pretty regularly ; the upper ones the shorter, and 

 the interior ones more or less erect. Native country unknown. 

 h. 6in. See Fig. 409. 



C. quadrangularis (four-angled).* fl. white, opening at night, 

 beautiful and sweet-scented. Plant creeping, three to four- 

 angled ; angles hardly channelled ; spines fave to seven in each 

 fascicle, hardly stellate. West Indies, 1809. 



C. ropandus (repand). /., tube green, unarmed ; inner calycine 

 or corolline lobes white ; outer looes of calyx narrow and much 

 acuminated, almost exceeding the inner ones in length. May. 

 Plant long, erect, with eight to nine blunt angles ; angles rather 

 undulated ; spines longer than the wool from which they issue. 

 h. 10ft. to 20ft. Caribbee Islands, 1728. (B. B. 336.) 



C. serpentinus (serpentine).* fl. large, very handsome ; lobes 

 bluntish, outer ones greenish, middle ones purplish, inner ones 

 white ; floral tubes very bristly at the base. Plant creeping, 

 flexuous, and somewhat climbing, with eleven to twelve very blunt 

 angles ; bristles in fascicles, much longer than the wool from 

 which they issue, but which at length falls off. h. 3ft. to 4ft. 

 South America, 1817. See Fig. 410. (B. M. 3566.) 



C. speciosissimus (most showy).* fl. large, of a beautiful 

 scarlet colour, sometimes violaceous inside ; petals spreading ; 

 stamens white. July, August Plant erect, three to four- 

 angled ; angles toothed ; prickles subulate, straight, rising from 

 white tomentum. h. 3ft. to 6ft. Mexico, 1816. (B. M. 3822.) 



C. triangularis (three-angled), fl. greenish on the outside, and 

 white inside, larger than that of most other species. July. 

 Plant creeping, trigonal ; prickles short, four in a fascicle, some- 

 what decussate. A. 1ft. to 2ft. Mexico, 1690. (B. M. 1884.) 



CEKJFEROUS. Bearing or producing wax. 



CERINTHE (from keros, wax, and anthos, a flower; 

 bees are supposed to obtain wax largely from the flowers). 

 Honeywort. ORD. Boraginece. Glabrous, glaucous, hardy 

 annuals or perennials, with terminal leafy racemes of 

 tubularly campanulate, drooping, variegated flowers. All 

 are of easy culture in common garden soil. Seeds should 

 be sown in spring, in sunny spots. C. maculata, being a 

 perennial, requires to be planted in a sheltered, dry situa- 

 tion, or the fleshy roots will be apt to rot. 

 C. ospora (rough). fl. t corolla yellow, with a brownish-purple 



tube, cylindrical, flve-toothed, twice as long as the calyx. July. 



1. oblong, denticulately ciliated, rough beneath. A. 1ft. to 2ft. 



South Europe, 1633. Annual. (S. F. G. 170.) 

 C. glabra (glabrous), fl., corolla yellow at bottom and violaceous 



at top, flve-toothed. June. I. ovate-lanceolate, quite entire. 



A. 1ft. European Alps, 1827. Annual. 

 C. maculata (spotted).* fl., corolla yellow, marked with five dark 



purple spots on the tube ; ventricose, five-cleft to the middle. 



June. 1. cordate-ovate, quite entire, glabrous. A. 1ft. to lift. 



South and Eastern Europe, 1804. Perennial. 

 C. major (largest).* fl., corolla yellow at bottom and purple at top ; 



ventricose at top, five-toothed. Julj ' 



lately ciliated, all fleshy, stem-u 

 beset with white dots, rough bene 

 Annual. (B. M. 333.) 



1. cordate-ovate, denticu- 

 ;labrous above, densely 

 1ft. Switzerland, 1596. 



C. minor (smaller).* /., corolla yellow, sometimes with five 

 brownish spots, five-cleft, with conniving segments. June. 

 1. cordate-ovate, quite entire, glabrous, densely beset with minute 



C. retorta (twisted).* /., corolla with a yellow tube and a viola- 

 ceous limb, retorted, clavately cylindrical, with a constricted five- 

 toothed mouth. July. I. stem-clasping, somewhat spathulate, 

 emargmate at top, with a short mucrone, beset with white warts 

 on both surfaces. A. IJft. Greece, &c., 1828. Annual. (S. F G. 



CEROPEGIA (from keros, wax, and pege, a iount/am ; 

 referring to the form and waxy appearance of the flowers). 

 ORD. Asclepiadacece. Usually twining, sometimes erect, 

 herbs, often with tuberous roots. Corolla funnel-shaped, 

 more or less ventricose from the base ; segments of the limb 

 narrow, sometimes cohering at the apex. Leaves opposite. 

 The corona consists of a single whorl of five to ten leaves, 

 opposite the stamens, and alternating with the segments of 

 the corolla. Ceropegias are very curious and pretty stove 

 or greenhouse plants, thriving in a mixture of peat, sand, 

 and vegetable mould. Cuttings of small side shoots, made 

 in April, will root in sand, in heat, with or without a glass 

 covering. They should have little or no water, when in a 

 dormant state, particularly the bulbous-rooted kinds. 



C. acuminata (taper-pointed), fl. large, erect, with a greenish 

 tube, and a purple limb ; segments united at apex ; corolla ven- 

 tricose at base ; tube sub-clavate ; peduncles many-flowered. June. 

 I. linear-lanceolate, 2in. to 4in. long, hardly iin. broad, attenuated 

 at apex. Boot tuberous. Coromandel, 1820. Stove. 



C. Barklyl (Barkly's).* fl. scarcely 2in. long, with a narrow, 

 curved, pinkish tube, dilated into a globose base, and expanded 

 above into a funnel-shaped limb, divided into live long filiform 

 segments, coherent at the incurved tips. May. I. opposite, 

 lanceolate, white-veined. Boot tuberous. South Africa, 1877. 

 Greenhouse. (B. M. 6315.) 



C. Bowkerl (Bowker's). fl. solitary, shortly-stalked ; sepals pale 

 green, spotted with brown; corolla pale yellowish-green, Uiii. 

 long (including the reflexed limb). I. linear, sub-acute, sessile. 

 Boot a tuber. A. 1ft. Caffraria, 1862. Greenhouse. (B. M. 5407.) 



C. bulbosa (bulbous), fl. large, erect, with a greenish tube and a 

 purple limb, having the segments united at the apex ; tube of 

 corolla sub-clavate ; peduncles many-flowered, shorter than the 

 leaves. April. I. from almost orbicular to lanceolate, acuminated. 

 Boot tuberous. Coromandel, 1821. Stove. 



CERNUOTTS. 



dicular ; drooping. 



Inclining a little from the perpen- 



FIG. 411. FLOWERING BRANCH OF CEROPEGIA ELF.GANS. 



C. elegans (elegant).* /. purple ; corolla with a clavate tube, a 

 hemispherical limb, and broad ligulate segments, which are 

 shorter than the tube, and ciliated with long hairs; peduncles 



