722 



CEREUS 



INDEX. 



A. Sts. erect, 2 in. or more diam. 

 B. New growth green, not pruinose or covered with a 



bloom. 

 c. Ribs of st. 10 or more. 



1. Pasacana, Web. A gigantic species, reaching a 

 height of 20-30 ft., and sometimes even 50 ft., and a 

 diam. of 12-16 in.; sparingly branching above; in new 

 growth dark green, becoming gray or bluish: ribs 15- 

 20, or in young plants only 9-10: areoles %-%in. apart, 

 large, brown, becoming yellowish and finally gray: 

 radial spines 10^13, about 1 in. long, the under one or 

 lowest pair straight, subulate, the others curved; cen- 

 trals mostly 4, the under and upper ones the longest, 

 reaching 2 in. length, straight or curved; the young 

 spines are clear brown, often with alternating rings of 

 light and dark tissue, later gray, bulbose at the base: 

 fls. from the lateral areoles about 6 in. long, white. 

 Argentina. This is the giant cereus of the Argentine 

 desert, as Carnegiea gigantea is of the certain N. 

 American deserts. It is not a true Cereus. 



2. candicans, Gillies. Sts. upright, low, cylindri- 

 cal, bright green, 23^-3 ft. high by 6-8 in. diam.; freely 

 branching from the base: ribs 10, obtuse - angled : 

 areoles %-%ip.. apart, large, depressed, white, becom- 

 ing gray: radial spines 11-14, spreading, at first thin, 

 needle-form, later stronger, stiff, straight, about %in. 

 long; central solitary or later 3-4 additional ones ap- 

 pearing above, stronger, reaching a length of 1J4 m -> 

 sometimes somewhat curved; all the spines horn-col- 

 ored, with tips and bases brown, later becoming gray: 

 fls. long, funnelform, resembling those of Echinopsis, 

 10 in. long by 6 in. diam.: fr. spherical to ellipsoidal, 

 about 3 in. diam., red, somewhat spiny, flesh white. 

 Argentina. Not a true Cereus. 



3. lamprochlorus, Lem. Related to C. candicans, of a 

 taller growth, cylindrical, 3-6 3^ ft. high by about 3 in. 

 diam., at first simple, but later branching at the base; 

 in new growth bright green, later dirty green: ribs 

 10-11 or occasionally 15; conspicuously crenate, later 

 blunt and but little crenate: areoles medium size, about 

 3^in. apart, yellowish white, becoming gray; above each 

 areole 2 radiating grooves form a letter V: radial 

 spines 11-14, spreading, straight, sharp-pointed, about 

 ^in. long, clear to dark amber-color; some are strong 

 and rigid, while others are bristle-form; centrals mostly 

 4, somewhat longer, stronger and deeper colored, with 

 brown bases, becoming dark gray, about %in. long: 

 fls. from the previous year's growth, about 8-10 in. 

 long by 6 in. diam., white. Argentina. Not a true 

 Cereus. \ 



4. Spachianus, Lem. Sts. upright, at first simple, 

 later profusely branching at the base, branches ascend- 

 ing parallel with the main St., 2-3 ft. high by 2-23^ 

 in. diam., columnar: ribs 10-15, obtuse, rounded: 

 areoles about H m - apart, large, covered with curly 

 yellow wool, becoming white: radial spines 8-10, 

 }4r% m - l n g> spreading, stiff, sharp, amber-yellow 

 to brown; central solitary, stronger and longer; all the 

 spines later becoming gray: fls. about 8 in. long by 

 about 6 in. diam., white. Argentina. Not a true 

 Cereus. 



CEREUS 



5. chiloensis, DC. (Cactus chiloensis, Colla). Sts. 

 strong, upright, simple (so far as known), about 2% ft. 

 high bySH-S in. diam., cylindrical to somewhat clavate, 

 bright, clear green: ribs 10^12, obtuse: areoles about an 

 inch apart, large: radial spines straight, sharp, rigid, at 

 first 9, but later 4 others appear above these; centrals 

 mostly 4, seldom but a single one, "bulbose at the base; 

 the young spines are brown honey-yellow, becoming 

 white, with dark tips, and finally gray: fls. from the 

 upper lateral areoles about 6 in. long, white, resem- 

 bling those of Echinopsis. Chile. This is not a true 

 Cereus. 



cc. Ribs of st. 7-9. 



6. euphorbioides, Haw. (C. Olfersii, Otto). Columnar, 

 simple, 10-16 ft. high by about 43^ in. diam., in young 

 growth pale green, 



changing with age 

 to gray-green : ribs 

 8-10, separated by 

 sharp grooves, sharp- 

 angled, becoming flat- 

 tened in older growth : 

 areoles about j^in. 

 apart, small, white to 

 gray: radial spines 

 mostly 6, the under 

 one the longest, 

 reaching a length of 

 over an inch, strong, 

 yellowish brown to 

 black, the upper ones 

 shorter and bristle 

 form ; central solitary, 

 in young plants twice 

 as long as the radials; 

 all the spines finally 

 become gray : fls. from 

 near the crown, 3^ 

 4 in. long, beautiful 

 flesh -red, remaining 

 open for 24 hours. 

 Brazil. R.H. 1885, 

 p. 279. This 

 plant is insuffi- 

 ciently under- 

 stood; it may be 

 a form of some 

 species of Ceph- 

 alocereus. 



7. Sepium, DC. 



884. Cereus peru- 

 vianus. A flower that 

 is just closing; from 

 a plant flowered in 

 Washington, D. C., in 

 1904- ( x H) 



Upright, colum- 

 nar, about 3 in. 

 diam.: ribs 9, sep- 

 arated by sharp, somewhat serpentine grooves, ob- 

 tuse, above the areoles, 2 radiating, slightly curved 

 grooves form a letter V : areoles 3^-%in. apart, com- 

 paratively large, slightly sunken, yellowish, later 

 gray: radial spines 9-12, radiate, nearly ^in. long, 

 straight, subulate, tolerably sharp, slightly thickened 

 at the base, clear brown, with darker stripes; cen- 

 tral solitary, reaching 13^ in. long, straight, porrect, 

 later somewhat deflexed, clear brown; later all the spines 

 become gray. Andes of Ecuador. Near Borzicactus; 

 needs further critical study. 



8. tetracanthus, Labour. Upright, arborescent or 

 bushy, freely branching, young branches leaf -green, later 

 gray-green : ribs 8-9, low, arched : areoles medium-sized, 

 slightly sunken, about 3^in. apart, white to gray: 

 radials 5, later 7, radiate, about %in. long, straight, 

 subulate, stout, white, with brown tips and bases, later 

 ashy gray; centrals 1-3, under one largest and porrect, 

 when young yellow and translucent, later gray: fls. re- 

 semble those . of C. tortuosus. Bolivia. This species 

 should doubtless be referred to Eriocereus. 



