70 REMARKABLE FLOWERS. [CHAP. 



springing out from mere crevices in the hard rock, 

 and imparting a singular aspect to the scenery of the 

 country, its tall stems with upright branches looking 

 like telegraphic posts for signalling from point to 

 point of the rocky mountains. While young the 

 stems are of a globular form, gradually becoming 

 club-shaped, and ultimately almost cylindrical, and 

 from fifty to sixty feet in height, with a diameter of 

 about two feet at middle height, and gradually taper- 

 ing, both upwards and downwards, to about one foot. 

 They are most frequently unbranched, but some of 

 the older ones have branches, which issue at right 

 angles from the stem, and then curve upwards and 

 grow parallel with it. The stems are regularly ribbed 

 or fluted, the ribs varying in number from twelve to 

 twenty, and have at intervals of about an inch, thick 

 yellow cushions bearing five or six large and many 

 smaller spines. The flowers are produced near the 

 summit of the stems and branches, and are about 

 four or five inches long by three or four in diameter, 

 having light cream-coloured petals. The fruits are 

 about two or three inches long, of a green colour and 

 oval form, having a broad scar at the top caused by 

 the flowers falling away ; when ripe they burst into 

 three or four pieces, which curve back so as to re- 

 semble a flower. Inside they contain numerous little 

 black seeds embedded in a crimson-coloured pulp 

 which the Pimos and Papagos Indians make into an 

 excellent preserve ; and they also eat the ripe fruit 

 as an article of food, gathering it by means of a 

 forked stick tied to the end of a long pole." Owing 

 to the exceedingly slow growth, it is probable that 



