C A C 



gomis, Five-angled Upright Torch Thistle; 5. 

 C. hexagonus, Six-angled Upright Torek Thistle; 

 6. C. heptagonus, oeven-anglcd Upright Torch 

 Thistle; 7. C. repandus, Slender Upright Torch 

 Thistle; 8. C. lariuginosus, Woolly Upright 

 Torch Thistle; 9. C. Peruvianas, Peruvian Up- 

 right Torch Thistle; 10. C. Royeni, Royen's Up- 

 right Torch Thistle; 11. C. grand '{florvi, Great- 

 flowering Creeping Cereus ; 1 2. C.flagellifarmis, 

 Pink-flowering Creeping Cereus; 13. C. trian- 

 gularis, Triangular Cereus, or Strawberry Pear ; 

 14. C. Opuntia, Common Indian Fig, or Prickly 

 Pear; 15. C. Ficus Indica, Oblong Indian Fig; 

 16. C. Turca, Great Indian Fig, or Prickly 

 Pear; ]/• C. coehenilUfer, Cochineal Indian 

 Fig; 18. C. Curassavicus, Curassao, or Least 

 Indian Fig, or Pin-pillow ; 19. C. spinosissimus, 

 Cluster-spined Indian Fig; 20. C, Phyllanllnis, 

 Spleen-wort-leaved Indian Fig; 21. C. alatus, 

 Narrow Long-jointed Indian Fig ; 22. C. moni- 

 liformis, Neck-lace Indian Fig; £3. C. pereskia, 

 Barbadoes Gooseberry. 



The. first differs from the following species in 

 being smaller and covered all over with 

 tubercles, between which the flowers and fruit 

 come out, round the middle of the plant : the 

 body is roundish, oblong, or melon-shaped : 

 the flowers appear in July and August : the fruit 

 is of a fine scarlet colour, continuing fresh 

 upon the plants during the winter, which has a 

 very beautiful effect at that season. 



There are varieties with white spines, with 

 red spines, and a proliferous or childing variety : 

 this is only a little larger than the other, growing 

 nearly in the same form, but produces a great 

 number of young plants from the sides : it has 

 tufts of a soft white down upon the tubercles or 

 knobs, and also between them ; the whole plant 

 appearing as if covered with fine cotton : 

 the flowers are larger, but not succeeded by 

 fruit in this climate, young plants being thrust 

 out in their stead the followiug season from the 

 places where the flowers had been. 



The second species appears like a large fleshy 

 green melon, having deep ribs, set all over with 

 strong sharp thorns. When cut through the 

 middle, the inside is found to be a soft, green, 

 fleshy substance, very full of moisture. The 

 flowers and fruit are produced in circles round 

 the upper part of the cap. Some brought hither 

 have been more than a vard in circumference, 

 and two feet and a half high including the caps ; 

 but in the West Indies there are plants much 

 larger. They resemble a hedge-hog in their 

 form and spines. 



There are varieties with straight angles, with 

 fifteen angles spirally twisted and erect spines, 

 with fifteen angles and broad recurved spines, 



C A C 



with fourteen angles and broad recurved spines, 

 with fourteen angles and white spines. 



The third species has an upright four-angled 

 succulent stem ; the angles are compressed, 

 armed with spines, and far asunder. It is sub- 

 ject to put out many shoots from the sides, 

 which stops itsupright growth, so that the plants 

 rarely rise more than four or five feet in height. 



The fourth has a succulent jointed stem ; 

 the internodes a foot long : knots of spines 

 come out along the edge without any visible nap 

 among them ; and sometimes, but rarely, the 

 stem has six angles : it never puts out any roots, 

 and, though slender and weak, grows upright to 

 the height of several feet. 



In the fifth species the angles are armed with 

 sharp spines, coming out in clusters at certain 

 distances, and spreading from a centre every 

 way : the outer substance of the plant is soft, 

 herbaceous, and full of juice, but in the middle 

 there is a strong fibrous circle running the whole 

 length, which secures the stems from being 

 broken by winds : they rise to the height of 

 thirty or forty feet when their tops are not in- 

 jured, and they have room to grow; but when- 

 ever the stems are cut, or injured, they put out 

 shoots from the angles, immediately under the 

 wounded part, and frequently one or two lower 

 down : these, when not cut off, form distinct 

 stems, and grow upright ; but they are seldom 

 so large as the principal one, especially if more 

 than one be left on a plant. The flowers come 

 out from the angles on the side of the stem ; 

 and have a thick, fleshy, scaly, round, channelled, 

 hairy peduncle, supporting a swelling germ, 

 upon the top of which sits the scaly, prickly 

 calyx, closely surrounding the corolla till a lit- 

 tle time before it expands: the flower is then as 

 large as that of a hollyhock ; the inner petals 

 being white and crenated at their extremity: 

 the calyx is green, with some purple stripes : it 

 is not succeeded by fruit in this climate, nor do 

 the plants produce flowers frequently ; but when 

 this happens, there are generally several. The 

 usual time of flowering is in July. 



The sixth has an upright shorter stem, which 

 is oblong and seven-angled, the angles deeply 

 cut and armed with spines. According to some, 

 it runs to the height of a foot and a half or two 

 feet. It has not flowered in this climate. 



The seventh species is described as having the 

 smallest stem of any of the upright sorts ; gene- 

 rally with nine obtuse angles armed with'short 

 spines, placed at further distances than those of 

 the other sorts, and the channels between the 

 angles not near so deep. The flowers are pro- 

 duced from the angles in the same manner as 

 the fifth; but aresmaller, and thecalyxisof a lio-b 

 2F2 



