168 



CACTE.E. IV. CEREUS. 



into the bouse whilst in flower, to adorn any of the rooms : they 

 are red or pink. 



Flagellijbrm Torch-thistle or Creeping Cereus. Fl. Mar. Ju. 

 Clt. 1690. PI. trailing. 



59 C. IE'PTOPHIS (D. C. mem. cact. in mem. mus. 1 7. p. 1 1 7.) 

 plant creeping a little, cylindrical, with 7-8 very blunt, rather 

 repanil ribs ; areolse velvety, but convex in the adult state ; 

 prickles 12-13 in each fascicle, stiffish, yellow, radiating, having 

 the 2 or 3 central ones erectish. Ij . D. S. Native of Mexico. 

 Coulter, no. 32. Habit of C. flagelliformis, but 3 times 

 slenderer. 



Slender Torch-thistle or Creeping Cereus. Clt. 1830. PI. pr. 



CO C. HUMEOLDTII (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 6. p. 66. 

 under Cactus) stems procumbent, with 10 or 12 ribs, plabrous ; 

 angles tubercled ; tubercles bearing stiff bristles ; style much 

 exceeding the corolla. ?? . D. S. Native about Quito, in fields 

 between Sondorillo and San Felipe. Said to be very like C. 

 flagelliformis. Flowers red. 



Humboldt's Torch-thistle or Creeping Cereus. Shrub pr. 



61 C. ICOSIGONUS (H. B. et Kunth, 1. c.) stems procumbent, 

 simple, usually with 20 angles ; angles bearing fascicles of 

 bristles : style length of petals, 8-cleft at the apex. tj . D. S. 

 Native of Quito, in dry places near Nabon. According to the 

 authors, this plant is sufficiently distinct from the foregoing. 

 Flowers white. 



Ttrenty -angled Torch-thistle. Shrub proc. 



62 C. SE'PIUM (H. B. et Kunth, 1. c.) stem erect, with 11 

 angles ; angles bearing fascicles of prickles ; stamens and style 

 about equal in leng'h, but exceeding the corolla a little ; stigma 

 8-parted. T? . D. S. Native of Quito, in sandy places, near 

 Riombamba, at the foot of Mount Chimborazo, where it is called 

 Pitahaya by the natives. According to the authors tliis species 

 is sufficiently distinct from C. Humboldtii. Flowers rose-co- 

 loured. Fruit red. 



Hedge Torch-thistle. Shrub 6 feet. 



63 C. CARIPE'NSIS (H. B. et Kunth, 1. c.) stems in fascicles, 

 elongated, creeping, branched, somewhat tetragonal ; angles 

 tubercled ; each tubercle bearing a fascicle of stellate bristles. 

 1? . D. S. Native of New Andalusia, near Caripe, growing 

 on rotten wood. Very like C.flagelliformis in habit, but both 

 the flowers and fruit are unknown, and therefore the place 

 which it should occupy in this genus is doubtful. 



Caripe Torch-thistle. Shrub creeping. 



* * Stems with 5 or 6 angles. 



64 C. GRANDIFLORUS (Mill. diet. ed. 8. no. 11. Haw. syn. 

 184.) stems rooting, diffuse, climbing, 5-6-angled ; bristles 5-8 

 in each fascicle, hardly longer than the down from which they 

 proceed, tj . D. S. Native of the West India Islands, and in 

 many parts of the main land of South America. Cactus gran- 

 diflorus, Lin. spec. p. 6G8. D. C. pi. grass, t. 52. Andr. bot. 

 rep. t. 508. Mill. fig. t. 90. Trew. ehret. t. 31, 32. Volk. 

 hesp. 1. t. 234. This species, when of sufficient strength, will 

 produce many exceeding Inrge, beautiful, sweet-scented flowers, 

 like those of most of the species of very short duration, hardly 

 continuing 6 hours full blown, nor do the flowers ever open 

 again when once closed. They begin to open between 7 and 8 

 o'clock, in the evening, are fully blown by 1 1 o'clock, and by 

 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning they fade, and hang do -.MI 

 quite decayed ; but during their short continuance there is 

 hardly any flower of greater beauty, or that makes a more 

 magnificent appearance ; for the calyx of the flower, when 

 open, is near a foot in diameter, the inside of which being of a 

 splendid yellow colour, appears like the rays of a bright star, 

 the outside is of a dark brown ; the petals being of a pure 

 white add to the lustre ; the vast number of recurved stamens 

 in the centre of the flower, make a fine appearance : add to all 



this, the fine scent, which perfumes the air to a considerable 

 distance ; there is scarcely any plant which deserves a place in 

 the hot-house so much as this, especially as it may be trained 

 against the wall, where it will not take up any room. The 

 flowers make a most magnificent appearance by candle-light, 

 sometimes there may be 6 or 8 flowers open upon one plant at 

 the same time ; and there will be a succession of them for several 

 nights together, provided the plant is large and healthy. 



Great-flowered Torch-thistle or Night-flowering Cereus. Fl. 

 June, Aug. Clt. 1700. Shrub cl. 



65 C. SPINULOSUS (D. C. mem. cact. in mem. mus. 17. p. 1 1 7.) 

 plant a little branched, creeping, and climbing somewhat, nearly 

 terete, with 5-6 hardly exserted, acutish ribs, and with broad, 

 bluntish furrows ; areolae, when young, velvety ; prickles 8 in 

 each fascicle, very short, stiff, when young yellowish, but after- 

 wards becoming brownish, the lateral ones radiating. Tj . D S. 

 Native of Mexico. Coulter, no. 27. Habit of the stems like 

 those of C. gran'liflbrus, but the prickles are very different. 



Spinulose Torch-thistle. Shrub cl. 



66 C. PENTAGONUS (Lin. hort. cliff, p. 182.) plant erect, 

 jointed, slender, pale green, 5-angled ; ribs repand ; prickles 

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

 5-6 radiating ones in each fascicle, and 1 central one. Tj . D. S. 

 Native of South America. Cactus pentagonus, Lin. spec. 666. 

 Haw. syn. 180. rev. 77. Salm-Dyck. in litt. C. prismaticus 

 and C. reptans, Willd. enum. suppl. 32. This is a very poly- 

 morphous species, varying with 3-4-5 angles, sometimes much 

 compressed, and sometimes the angles are nearly obliterated. 

 The plant never throws out lateral roots. Flowers large, white. 



Pentagonal-stemmed Torch-thistle. Fl. July. Clt. 1769. 

 Shrub 3 feet. 



67 C. RADICANS (D. C. prod. 3. p. 468.) plant prostrate 

 jointed, pale green, with 3-5 angles ; prickles stiff, slender, ru- 

 fous, naked at the base, with 6-9 radiating ones in each fascicle 

 and 1 central one, which is rather elongated. Jj . D. S. Na- 

 tive of South America. Cactus reptans, Salm-Dyck. in litt. not 

 Willd. It differs from C. pentagonus in the stems being pros- 

 trate and rooting, not erect. 



Rooting Torch-thistle. Shrub creeping. 



68 C. HU'MILIS (D. C. prod. 3. p. 468.) plant jointed, divari- 

 cate, rooting, green, with 4 or 5 angles ; ribs much compressec 

 and repand ; fascicles of prickles crowded ; prickles about equa 

 in length to the white tomentum from which they arise : 8-10 

 radiating white bristle-formed ones in each fascicle and 3 stiffisl 

 straw-coloured, central ones. 17 . D. S. Native country anc 

 flowers unknown. C. gracilis, Salm-Dyck. in litt. but not 01 

 Haw. Plant humble, with the joints a little elongated and di- 

 varicating, deeply furrowed. 



Humble Torch-thistle. Shrub. 



69 C. ALBISETOSUS (Haw. rev. 77.) plant creeping, green, 

 with 5 angles ; prickles bristle-formed, white, stellately expanded, 

 shorter than the rufous wool from which they arise, tj . D. S. 

 Native of St. Domingo. The rest unknown. 



White-bristled Torch-thistle. Clt. 1816. Shrub creeping. 



* * * Stems with 3-4 angles. 



70 C. QUADRANGULA'RIS (Haw. syn. p. 181.) plant creeping, 

 3-4-angled ; angles hardly channelled ; spines 5-7 in each fas- 

 cicle, hardly stellate. Tj . D. S. Native of the West Indies. 

 Plum. ed. Burm. t. 199. f. 1. Flowers white, opening at 

 night, beautiful, and sweet-scented. 



Quadrangular Torch- thistle. Clt. 1809. Shrub creeping. 



7 1 C. TRIPTERIS (Salm-Dyck. in litt. ex D. C. prod. 3. p. 468.) 

 plant jointed, erectish, rooting, green, 3-4-angled ; ribs much 

 compressed, rather repand ; fascicles of spines crowded, will: 

 8 radiating ones in each fascicle, and 3 stiffish central ones, 

 fj . D. S. Native country unknown. It differs from C. grac'lis 



