176 



CACTE^E. VII. PERESKIA. VIII. RHIPSALIS. 



outside, about an inch in diameter. Very like the preceding 

 species. 



Zinnia-flowered Barbadoes-gooseberry. Tree 10 feet. 



7 P. LYCHNIDIFLORA (D. C. diss. t. 18.) leaves ovate, acute ; 

 prickles solitary in the axils of the leaves, but perhaps in fas- 

 cicles on the stems ; flowers solitary, terminal ; petals cu- 

 neated, fringed at the apex ; ovarium bearing the sepals. Pj . 

 D. S. Native of Mexico. Cactus fimbriatus, Moc. et Sesse, 

 fl. mex. icon. ined. Flowers of a coppery peach colour, about 

 2 inches in diameter, similar to those of Lychnis coronatus. 



Lychnis -flowered Barbadoes-gooseberry. Shrub. 



8 P. oruNTUEFLORA (D. C. diss. t. 1 9.) leaves obovate, mu- 

 cronate, usually 2 together ; prickles axillary, solitary, very 

 long, but perhaps disposed in fascicles on the stem ? flowers 

 usually terminal, or nearly so, solitary ; petals ovate, acutish ; 

 ovarium bearing fascicles of hairs. Tj . D. S. Native of Mexico. 

 Cactus opuntiseflorus, Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. icon. ined. Flowers 

 of a dirty scarlet colour, an inch in diameter ; petals disposed in 

 2 series. 



Indian-Jig-Jlomered Barbadoes-gooseberry. Shrub. 



9 P. ROTUNDIFOLIA (D. C. diss. t. 20.) leaves roundish, mu- 

 cronate ; prickles axillary, solitary, but perhaps disposed in 

 fascicles on the stem ; flowers solitary, lateral ? petals broad, 

 roundish, mucronate ; ovarium bearing the sepals ; fruit obovate, 

 full of cicatrices, fj . D. S. Native of Mexico. Cactus ro- 

 Uindifolius, Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. icon. ined. Flowers yellow, 

 variegated a little with scarlet, 1 5 lines in diameter. Berry red, 

 obovate. 



Round-leaved Barbadoes-gooseberry. Shrub. 



10 P. GRANDIFOLIA (Haw. suppl. p. 85.) leaves oblong-lanceo- 

 late, smooth above, beset with rough dots beneath ; stem very 

 spiny. fy . D. S. Native of Brazil. Cactus grandif olius, 

 Link. enum. 2. p. 25. Spreng. syst. 2. p. 498. Larger spines 

 blackish, 2 inches long. 



Great-leaved Barbadoes-gooseberry. Clt. 1818. Sh. 6 feet. 



Cult. The species of this genus are very different in habit 

 from the rest of the genera of the present order, from the 

 branches being woody and furnished with proper leaves ; but 

 the flowers resemble the other genera of the order. They are 

 of easy culture, growing freely in any light earth ; and cuttings 

 of them are readily rooted in mould or sand, under a hand- 

 glass, in heat. A large plant of any of the species has a very 

 grotesque and ornamental appearance, when several species of 

 Cereus and Epiphyllum has been grafted or inserted on it. 



Tribe II. 



RHIPSALI'DEjE (this tribe only contains the genus RJnp- 

 salis). D. C. prod. 3. p. 475. Ovula, and therefore the seeds 

 are fixed to the central axis of the berry. 



VIII. RHI'PSALIS (prji, rhips, a willow-branch; in refer- 

 ence to the flexible branches). Gaertn. fr. 1. p. 136. t. 28. 

 Haw. syn. 18G. D. C. prod. 3. p. 475 Hariota, Adans. fam. 

 2. p. 243. Rhipsalides. Willd. enum. suppl. p 33. Cact. pa- 

 rasitici, D. C. cat. hort. monsp. p. 83. 



LIN. SYST. Icosdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx adhering 

 to the ovarium, smooth; limb superior, 3-6-parted, short; teeth 

 acuminated, membranous. Petals 6, oblong, spreading, inserted 

 in the calyx. Stamens 12-18, fixed to the base of the petals. 

 Style filiform, crowned by 3-6 stigmas. Berry pellucid, roundish, 

 crowned by the marcescent calyx. Seeds imbedded in the pulp, 

 without albumen ; radicle of the embryo thick ; cotyledons 2, 

 short, obtuse. Small shrubs, growing upon trees in the West 

 Indies, usually pendulous, branched, leafless, and terete, naked 

 or bearing rather falcate small bristles ; fascicles of bristles, 

 when present, disposed in a quincuncial spiral order. Flowers 



lateral, sessile, small, white. Berries pellucid and white, nearly 

 like that of Viscum or Missletoe. 



1 R. CASSY'THA (Gsertn. 1. c. Haw. 1. c.) plant pendulous ; 

 branches verticillate, naked, glabrous ; calyx 6-parted ; petals 

 5-6. \i . D. S. Native of Jamaica, St. Domingo, Trinidad, 

 &c. hanging on the branches of the tallest trees. Christy, in bot. 

 mag. 3080. Cassytha baccifera, Mill. fig. Cassytha filifi'rmis, 

 Mill. diet. ed. 8. Cactus pendulus, Swartz, fl. ind. occ. p. 876. 

 Flowers white. Berry white, about the size of those of a red 

 currant, 12-seeded. 



Var. ft, Mauril/ana (D. C. prod. 3. p. 476.) plant creeping ? 

 branches crowded, jointed. Tj . D. S. Native of the Mauri- 

 tius, on the rock called Lapouce. Cactus pendulinus, Sieb. fl. 

 maur. 2. no. 259. Perhaps this plant has been introduced to 

 the Mauritius from the Brazils, as all the other species of this 

 genus are natives of America. Flowers whitish. Berries white. 



Cassytha Rhipsalis. Fl. Sept. Clt. 1758. Shrub 1 foot. 



2 R. HOOKERIA^NA ; plant pendulous ; branches verticillate, 

 naked, glabrous ; calyx 4-parted ; petals 4. Tj . D. S. Native 

 of the West Indies and Mexico. R. Cassytha, Hook, exot. fl. 

 t. 21. R. Cassy^tha /3, Hookeriana, D. C. prod. 3. p. 476. 

 Flowers white. Berries white, about the size of those of a red 

 currant, 12-20-seeded. 



Hooker's Rhipsalis. Fl. May, June. Clt. ? Shrub 1 foot. 



3 R. CASSYTHOIDES ; plant pendulous ; branches verticillate, 

 naked, glabrous ; calyx 3-lobed : lobes broad at the base, and acu- 

 minated at the apex; petals 6. (7 , D. S. Native of Mexico. 

 Flowers white. Berries white, about the size of red currants. 

 Cactus cassythoides, Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. icon. ined. R. 

 Cassytha y, Mociniana, D. C. prod. 3. p. 476. diss. t.21. 



Cassytha-like Rhipsalis. Shrub 1 foot. 



4 R. DICHOTOMA ; plant pendulous ; branches dichotomous ; 

 calyx 3-lobed ; petals 6, disposed in 2 series, fj . D. S. Native 

 of New Andalusia and New Granada, growing on trees. Cac- 

 tus pendulus, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 6. p. 65. R. 

 Cassytha S, dichotoma, D. C. prod. 3. p. 476. Flowers white. 

 Berries white, about the size of gooseberries, 30-40 seeded. 



Dichotomous Rhipsalis. Shrub 1 foot. 



5 R. GRANDIFLORUS (Haw. suppl. pi. succ. p. 83. rev. p. 72.) 

 plant sparingly branched; branches nearly erect, somewhat cala- 

 miform, naked : spines very minute, solitary, pale, closely ad- 

 piessed, at nearly regular distances ; flowers numerous, hardly 

 an inch in diameter. I? . D. S. Native of Brazil. Hook. bot. 

 mag. t. 2740. R. funalis, D. C. prod. 3. p. 476. Cactus fu- 

 nalis, Salm-Dyck. in hort. dyck. 1822. Petals and calycine 

 lobes 8, pale yellow inside. Filaments numerous, white ; anthers 

 yellow. Stigmas 4, rotate. 



Great-flowered Rhipsalis. Fl. June, Jul. Clt. 1816. Sh. 1 ft. 



6 R. FASCICULA'TA (Haw. suppl. p. 83.) pendulous ; branches 

 terete, in fascicles ; fascicles of hairs disposed in a spiral quin- 

 cuncial order along the younger branches. Pj . D. S. Native 

 of the West India Islands. Christy, in bot. mag. 3079. R. 

 parasitica, Haw. syn. p. 187. Cactus parasiticus, Lam. diet. 1. 

 p. 541. D. C. pi. grass, t. 59. Cactus fasciculatus, Willd. 

 enum. suppl. p. 33. Flowers greenish-white, few, and confined 

 to the main branches. Berry similar to R . Cassytha. 



Fasciculate Rhipsalis. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1817. Sh. 1 ft. 



7 R. SALICORNIOIDES (Haw. suppl. p. 83.) plant erect, 

 branched, proliferous at the joints ; joints short, obclavate, te- 

 rete, and angular, with fascicles of very minute hairs, floriferous 

 at the apex ; flowers solitary. Tj . D. S. Native of South 

 America. Otto, et Link. abbl. t. 49. Petals 7-10, acute, yellow, 

 longer than the stamens and style. 



Salicornia-like Rhipsalis. Fl. June. Clt. 1817. Sh. 1 foot. 



8 R. MESEMBRYANTHOIDES (Haw. rev. p. 71.) plant glomer- 

 ately branched ; branches erect, terete, straight, bearing joints ; 



