276 NATURAL HISTORY. 



is a procumbent and creeping plant. Most of this genus 

 have tufts of fine spines, which are easily broken. The 

 flowers of many are very beautiful ; a few, highly fra- 

 grant, grow out from the leaf-like stalks, or come forth 

 from the edge of the joints, and are succeeded by a 

 smooth, crimson, fig-like, eatable fruit. 



The cactacea are natives of South America, where 

 they often form a thicket which none can penetrate 

 without receiving severe injury. Transplanted thence 

 to Europe, where they are much esteemed, as they thrive 

 without costing any trouble. 



The principal specimen of the race is 



The Indian Fig (Cactus opuntia), which has mostly 

 an upright stem; sometimes procumbent, and formed 

 of the thick, fleshy oval leaves, from which protrude 

 tufts of innumerable fine prickles. When old, the color 

 is brown. The flowers, rather insignificant, are yel- 

 low, and the red, fig-like fruit has an insipid, sweetish 

 taste. O. 



Cereus. Great Flowering Cactus (Cactus grandi- 

 florus), De Cand., Linn. Stems cylindrical or pris- 

 matic, branching ; the angles not very prominent, on 

 which are placed clusters of five or six wool-like bris- 

 tles; flowers large, beautiful, and snow-white; calyx 

 gold color, and very long stamens. Expands in the 

 evening, endures throughout the night, and fades in the 

 morning. The expansion is so rapid that the soft trem- 

 bling of the petals (ninety in number) can be seen. 

 Fruit eatable, slightly acid, reddish-yellow, and about 

 the size of a goose egg. It . 



The Snake Cactus (Cactus flagelliformis), Lin., con- 

 sists of a number of stalks, slender, cylindrical, about 

 the size of the little finger. Indistinctly articulated 



