282 



CEREUS 



CEREUS 



ing slender, parallel with the main stem : ribs 12-16, 

 rounded: areolae close together, brown; spines fine, slen- 

 der, very sharp, 15-20, fascicled, white to yellow or dark 

 brown, about % in. long; sometimes a single one from the 

 center reaches a length of % in. : fls. numerous, tubular, 

 zygomorphous, 2/^-3 in. long by about ^in. in diame- 

 ter throughout, red or sometimes with orange-red petals 

 and red tube. Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentine Re- 

 public. 



28. isogonus, K.Sch. Stem upright, columnar, about 

 1-1% in. indiam., in young growth light green to yellow- 

 green, later darker : ribs 15-16 : areolae approximate, 

 white, turning gray: radial spines as many as 20, 

 spreading, at first clear or dark yellow, becoming white, 

 and finally gray, bristle form, flexible, about %in. long; 

 centrals 6-8; two of these are somewhat stronger and 

 stiffer, about % in. long, one directed upward and one 

 downward, yellowish brown to dark honey-color ; later 

 gray, as in the radials. S. Amer. 



29. splendens, Salm-Dyck. Columnar, slender, short, 

 rigid, more or less branching from the base, reaching a 

 height of about 2 ft. and about 1-1% in. in diam., light 

 to yellowish green : ribs about 10-12, rounded : areolse 

 prominent, about % in. apart, tawny, becoming white, 

 tomentose : radial spines 8-12, radiating, yellow and 

 light brown, becoming gray; centrals 1-3, scarcely 

 larger than the radial, yellowish to white ; all the spines 

 slender, bristle form, about %-/4 in. long. This may 

 be but a lower, stouter form of C. repandus. C. Caven- 

 dishii has been referred to this species, but with some 

 question. 



BB. Ribs 8-10. 



30. repandus, Haw. (C. eritphorus, Pfeiff.). Stem 

 simple, 20 ft. high, tapering at summit and jointed, 

 with 8-10 obtuse ribs : spines 9-12, needle-shaped, white 

 with black tips : large white, funnel form flowers, the 

 calyx-tube covered with long wool. W. Indies. 



31. platygonus, Otto. At first upright, later some- 

 what reclining, branching, at the base about 1 in. in 

 diam., tapering in the new growth: ribs 8, low, arched > 

 areolee about % in. apart, very small, yellow, becoming 

 gray, subtruded by a small 3-angled bract ; radial 

 spines 12-15, spreading, bristle form, little more than 

 % in. long; central solitary, slightly longer and stronger; 

 all the spines at first yellow-brown, changing to white 

 or gray with age. 



32. cserulSscens, Salm-Dyck (C. I/dndbecki, Phil.). 

 Arborescent or shrubby, 3-5 ft. high: stems 1-1K in. in 

 diam. : ribs usually 8, obtuse : areolte approximate, white 

 bud soon becoming black : spines rigid ; radials 9-12, 

 %-% in. long, black ; centrals 4, % in. long, stronger, 

 black or white : fls. from the side of the stem, slightly 

 curved, 6-8 in. long by 6 in. indiam., tube bronze-green, 

 corolla white or occasionally rose-pink: frs. ellipsoidal, 

 pointed at both ends, about 3 in. long and half that in 

 diam., bright red, with blue glaucous covering. Argen- 

 tine Republic. B.M. 3922. 



33. Bridgesii, Salm-Dyck. Upright, tall, columnar, 

 simple or later branching at the base, bright green when 

 young, becoming blue to gray-green, l%-2 in. in diam. : 

 ribs 5-7, very broad and low : areolae %-%in. apart, 

 yellowish to gray: spines 3-5, radiating, the under one, 

 or seldom the upper one, the longest, 1% in. long, stiff, 

 sharp, straight, dark honey-yellow, with brown tips, be- 

 coming gray with age. Bolivia. 



Var. Iagenif6rmis, K. Sch. (C. lagenifdrmis, Forst.). 

 Spines more numerous, somewhat longer. 



34. azureus, Pa,rm.(C.Seldelii, Lehm.). Stem upright, 

 tall, slender, columnar, branching from the base, in the 

 young, fresh bluish green, later dark green with gray, 

 glaucous covering, about 3-4 ft. high and about 1 in. in 

 diam. : ribs 5-7, rounded, enlarged at the areolae : 

 areol about %-l ft. apart, elevated, large, abundantly 

 woolly when young : spines 8-18, nearly alike, about 

 V~y% in. long, stiff, slender, needle-form to bristle-like, 

 black; the 2-4 central ones somewhat longer: fls. 8-12 

 in. long, obliquely attached to the stem, slightly curved, 

 white. Braz. 



35. Cffisius, Otto. Upright, columnar, branching at the 

 base, somewhat tapering above ; in new growth, beauti- 



ful light blue, pruinose ; later, light green to slightly 

 bluish, about 1% in. in diam.: ribs 5-6, separated by 

 sharp grooves, about % in. high, compressed, faintly 

 crenate, becoming depressed in older growth : areolae 

 about % in. apart, small, yellow at first, later becoming 

 white and finally gray : radial spines 8-10, sometimes 

 more appear later; radiate, light amber-color, brown at 

 the base, the lower pair the longest, mostly about % in. 

 long ; centrals 4-7, like the radials but usually some- 

 what stronger, longer and darker ; all the spines thin, 

 needle-form, flexible, sharp ; later, light horn-color, 

 finally gray. S. Amer. (?). 



36. Greggii, Engelm, Slender and branching, 2-3 ft. 

 high and %-l in. in diam., from an extraordinarily 

 large, tuberous root (often 6-10 in. long and 4-6 in. in 

 diam. ) : ribs 3-6, acute : spines subulate from bulbous 

 base, very short and sharp, 7-11, 1 or 2 being central: 

 fls. white or yellowish, 6-8 in. long; fr. ovate, alternate 

 at base and apex, bright scarlet, fleshy and edible, 1-2 

 in. long. Southwestern Tex. to Ariz., and south into 

 Chihuahua and Sonora. Generally in gravelly or hard, 

 clayey soil. 



37. specidsus, K. Sch. (C. coccineus, Salm-Dyck. C. 

 Schrdnkii, Zucc. C. speciosissimus, DC.). Slender, 

 much branched from toward the base; stems about 2 ft. 

 in length by about 1 in. in diam., sometimes having 

 aerial roots near the young growth: ribs 3-5, serrated: 

 areolae occupy the short upper side of the serrations, 

 large, copiously white, woolly : spines fascicled, 5-8, 

 more in age, spreading, slender, stiff, sharp-pointed, the 

 under one bristle-form, about % in. long, yellow : fls. 

 appearing from the older growth of the stems ; large, 

 6 in. in diam., remaining open several days, purple-red, 

 with irridescent, bluish center : fr. ovoid, with a few 

 scattering scales, l%-2 in. long. Mex. and Cent. Amer. 

 B.M. 3822. I.H. 32:548. Gn. 53, p. 153. -This species is 

 commonly hybridized with other species of Cereus and 

 of Phyllocactus, giving rise to numerous horticultural 

 varieties. 



38. Mexicanus, Lem. Said by Lemaire to be a garden 

 hybrid between C. speciosus and some other species not 

 mentioned. 



AAA. Stems prostrate. 



39. Emoryi, Engelm. Prostrate, cylindrical, 2-4 ft. 

 long, with ascending or erect branches 6-10 in. high and 

 1-2 in. in diam. : ribs 15, tuberculate : spines slender 

 and rigid, interlocked, yellow ; radials 40-50, very slen- 

 der; central usually solitary, stouter and much larger : 

 fls. greenish yellow, 1-2 in. broad : fr. globose, very 

 spiny, 1-1% in. in diam. Rocky hills, S. Calif, into L. 

 Calif, and adjacent islands. Grows in thick masses, 

 covering patches 10-20 ft. square. 



40. gummdsus, Engelm. (C. gumminbsus, Hort.). 

 Prostrate and assurgent, 1-4 ft. long, 3-4 in. in diam., 

 dull purplish green: ribs (on young branch) 7-9, tuber- 

 culate: spines stout and rigid, black, from a strong, 

 bulbous base; radials about 12; centrals 3-6, stout and 

 angled: fls. purple, 4-5 in. long: fl. subglobose, about 3 

 in. in diam., spiny, bright scarlet with purple pulp 

 ("color of ripe watermelon"), acid and pleasant. L. 

 California. 



41. eruca, Brandegee. Prostrate and stout, single or 

 slightly branched, 2-4 ft. long, 3-7 in. in diam., rooting 

 from the under surface, generally in patches of 20-30 : 

 ribs 13-21: spines stout, ashy, interlocked; centrals 5-8, 

 stouter, the lowest flattened and strongly deflexed : fls. 

 4-5 in. long, reported to be yellow: fr. globular, 2 in. in 

 diam., somewhat spiny, dull red, with purple pulp. Sandy 

 plains, coasts of L. Calif, and adjacent islands. A plant 

 of curious and uncouth habit, often in large masses, and 

 from a distance "looking like a lot of firewood thrown at 

 random on the ground." 



AAAA. Stems weak, clambering over rocks or other plants 

 for support; without aerial roots. 



42. Pitajaya, DC. (C. Pernambucensis [Femambu- 

 censis], Lem. C. formdsus, Salm-Dyck. C. varidbilis, 

 Pfeiff. ) . Stems at first simple, later branching, in young 

 growth light green, turning grayish green with age, 

 pointed, %-l%in. in diam. : ribs 3-5, commonly 4: areolse 

 about 1 in. apart, large, bearing a conspicuous amount of 



