CACTI 73 



EchinocactUS is characterised by short, thick, globular, deeply- 

 ribbed stems, usually unbranched and covered with tufts of stiff bristles 

 and stout-hooked spines. A few of .the most conspicuous of a large 

 number of species are : E. Lecontei, with a thick, globular, angled stem, 

 covered with tufts of grey bristles and strong rosy-red spines, two to 

 four and a-half inches long ; E. Wislizeni, a large round plant, with 

 long, wide, dull brown spines ; E. Gfrusonii, a large, round plant, thickly 

 covered with bright yellow spines ; E. ingens, distinct by reason of its 

 almost round spines ; and E. cornigerous, electr acanthus, Emoryi, Hasel- 

 bergii, horizonthalonius, and Pfeifferi. 



Epiphyllum is a family characterised by much branched, flat, short- 

 jointed stems, the flowers being produced abundantly from the ends of 

 the branches in November and December. It requires a closer and 

 moister atmosphere than most Cacti, and should never be kept without 

 water. As the several species are found growing naturally on branches 

 and in forks of trees, a lighter soil is necessary for them. They are 

 sometimes grafted on tall stems of Pereskia, or they may be grown in 

 baskets, or on rafts. When on their own roots a mixture of peat, char- 

 coal, and sand is suitable. In a moist warm house, grafted plants can 

 be grown six feet high, several feet through, and thoroughly clothed with 

 branches from the pot upwards. The flowers are bright coloured, thick 

 and fleshy, and somewhat resemble in shape those of a Salvia. E. Gxrtneri, 

 with scarlet flowers, E. russellianus, with rose flowers, and E. truncatum, 

 with red blossoms, are showy species. Of the latter, a large number of 

 garden forms are in cultivation, varying in colour from purple, rose, and 

 salmon, to white. 



Mamillaria. This genus is characterised by having intensely spiny 

 stems, and by having the whole stem covered with small bulb-like 

 tubercles. Between the different species there is a wide variation in 

 habit. Almost all are of small stature, some making a cluster of small 

 stems an inch or two high, others making stems a foot or more high 

 which rarely branch, while another set form round thick stems, three or foui 

 inches high, and of the same diameter. Of the taller ones, M. sulphured, 

 covered with softish yellow spines; spinosissima, var. brunea, with similar 

 white spines ; pyramidalis and flavispina with yellow ; and M. fuscata, 

 with grey spines, are the best. Of the short globular set, M. dolichocentra, 

 Nickolsonii, mutdbilis, bicolor, and rutila are useful, while of dwarf much 

 branched plants, M. stellaris, elongata, stellata, var. aurata, pulchella, 

 densa, tenuis, and elongata make pretty plants. The flowers of this genus 

 are borne from near the apex of the stem, and are often bright coloured. 

 Melocactus is characterised by a thick, short, Echinocactus-like stem, but 

 the flowers are produced in a large cup-like head, which continues to 

 increase in size for many years. The Turk's Cap Cactus (Melocactus 

 communis), a West Indian plant, makes a large head of red flowers, 

 shaped like a Turk's cap, hence its name. It is the best representative 

 of the few cultivated species. 



Opuntia is known by its many-jointed stems, the portions between 

 the joints being flat and wide, or in a few instances cylindrical. The 

 flowers are produced from the edges of the stems. The fruit is pear- 



