C A C 



C A C 



There are varieties with smooth green leaves, 

 with hairy leaves, and with hairy thick leaves. 



The fourth species resembles the sixth in its 

 form and manner bf growth, but the leaves are 

 narrower and more succulent. These do hot 

 fall oft" entire, as in the other, but break off at 

 the beginning of the foot-stalks, which are very 

 strong and thick, and always continue ; so that 

 the main stalk of the plant, and the lower part 

 of the branches, which arc destitute of leaves, 

 are set round on every side with three truncated 

 foot-stalks, and thus defended in a singular 

 manner from external injuries. It is a native of 

 the Cape, but has not yet flowered in this cli- 

 mate. 



The fifth rises with many succulent stalks 

 from the roots, as large as a man's finger, 

 branching out upwards into many irregular 

 stalks of the same form, but smaller: the leaves 

 are succulent, alternate, blunt ; under each foot- 

 stalk are three smooth lines or ribs which run 

 along the branch. It is a native of fhe Cape, 

 but rarely flowers here. 



The sixth species rises with a thick fleshy 

 stem, divided at certain distances, as it were, 

 into so many joints ; each of these divisions 

 swells much larger in the middle. The stalks 

 divide into many irregular branches of the same 

 form, which towards their extremities have 

 long, narrow leaves, of a glaucous colour, 

 standing all round without order. As these fall 

 off, they leave a scar at the place, which always 

 remains on the branches. The flowers are pro- 

 duced in large clusters at the extremities, and 

 are of a faint carnation colour. It grows na- 

 turally in the Canary islands, flowering in Au- 

 gust and the two following months, but does 

 not produce seed here. 



It is denominated Cablage-tree by some, 

 from the resemblance which the stalks have to 

 those of cabbage : and others have named it 

 Carnation-tree, from the shape of the leaves 

 and colour of the flowers. 



The seventh species rises with strong round 

 stalks to the height of seven or eight feet; which 

 are woody at bottom, but soft and succulent 

 upwards, sending out many irregular branches. 

 These, for more than half their length, have 

 thick, taper, succulent leaves, a little com- 

 pressed on two sides, ending in points, covered 

 with a whitish meal : when broken, they emit 

 a strong odour of turpentine, and are full of a 

 viscid juice. At the extremities of the branches 

 the flowers are produced in small umbels; which 

 are white, and cut into five parts at top : the 

 stigma is of a dark purple colour, and stands 

 erect above the tube. The seeds do not ripen 

 here. 



In France, the leaves are sometimes pickled, 

 with the white meal preserved on them. It is a 

 native of the Cape of Good Hope, flowering 

 from June to November. 



The first three species are herbaceous, and 

 hardy enough to be planted in the open ground ; 

 but the last four are shrubby, and require the 

 protection of a green-house in the winter. 



Culture. — The herbaceous kinds may be 

 raised either by their roots or the seeds. In the 

 first method, the roots should be divided and 

 planted out either in the autumn or early in the 

 spring. In the latter mode, the seeds should be 

 sown or left to shed in the autumn or spring 

 seasons. 



The shrubby species may be easily increased 

 by cuttings of the young branches, which 

 should be planted in pots of light sandy mould, 

 during the spring or summer months, after being 

 cut into pieces of five or six inches in length, 

 and left some days exposed to dry "and 

 heal over the cut parts. Those planted in the 

 spring season may be plunged in a hot-bed, but 

 during the summer they take root easily without 

 such aids. 



The first sorts afford variety in the large 

 clumps and borders of extensive pleasure- 

 grounds ; and the latter sorts, from the singu- 

 larity of their growth, produce much variety in 

 the green-house in assemblage with other curi- 

 ous plants. 



CACTUS, a genus comprising plants of the 

 succulent exotic kind. The Melon Thistle, 

 Torch Thistle, Creeping Cereus, and Indian Fig 

 sorts. 



It belongs to the class and order Icosandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Succutentce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is an one- 

 leafed, imbricate, hollow-tubular perianth ium, 

 with scaly leaflets scattered over it, superior, 

 deciduous : the petals numerous, rather obtuse 

 and broad ; the outer ones shorter ; the inner 

 larger and converging : the stamina consist of 

 numerous subulate filaments inserted into the 

 calyx .- the anthers oblong, erect : the pistillum 

 is an inferior germ: the style the length of 

 the stamens, cylindric : the stigma headed and 

 multifid: the pericarpium is a berrv rather oblong, 

 one-celled, umbilicate, and roughened as the 

 calyx is : the seeds are numerous, roundish, 

 small, nestling. 



The species chiefly cultivated as curious or 

 ornamental plants are: 1. C. mammellaris, 

 Smaller Cactus, or Melon Thistle; 2. C. 

 Melo-caclus, Melo-cactus, Great Melon Thistle, 

 or Turk's Cap; 3. C. tetragonus, Four-angled 

 Upright Cereus, or Torch Thistle; 4. C.penta- 



