574 GARDEN PLANTS. PART IT. 



man's little finger; quite smooth, surmounted with a starry 

 head of bristles. " The flowers " are described as " produced on 

 the summits of the stems, and the largest and most beautiful of 

 any of the genus, opening in the sun : the interior divisions of 

 a brilliant yellow, the exterior reddish." * 



Others mentioned of especial merit are M. atrata ; Andraea ; 

 carnea; cirrhifera, spinis fuscis; coronaria; depressa; fulvispina; 

 Karwinskii; mangnimamma ; quadrispina; sphacelata; Wildiana. 



Echinocactus. 



HEDGEHOG-THISTLE. 



Curious prickly globular-formed plants. 



I.E. Echidne. Of curious growth, resembling a ribbed Melon, 

 of the size of a cricket-ball, with star-like arrangements of 

 thorns along the ribs ; bears in February pretty, delicate, pink- 

 ish-white flowers, of the size of a Daisy, and somewhat like 

 those of a Mesembryanthemum, in little groups near the summit 

 of the plant. 



2. E. multiplex. Described as bearing flowers of a delicate 

 flesh colour, as large as the plant itself, which is of a balloon 

 form. In the Botanical Gardens are likewise : 3. E. Williamsii. 

 4. E. hexaedrophorus ; 5. E. notophorus ; 6. E. platycerus ; 7. E. 

 Eyresii. Mentioned also as especially deserving of cultivation 

 are : E. echinatus ; densus ; Gilliesii ; imbricatus ; latispinus ; 

 Mackieanus ; Montevidensis ; parvispinus ; platyacanthus ; scopa ; 

 spinis albis ; subgibbosus ; tenuispinus ; tubiflorus. 



Cereus. 



TOKCH-THISTLE. 



Curious thorny, long-stemmed, strong-growing plants, de- 

 manding very little care in their cultivation. The soil best 

 adapted for them is a mixture of vegetable-mould and decayed 

 cow-dung well intermixed with crocks and broken bricks. 



1. C. eriophorus. A climbing plant, curious for the woolly kind 

 of substance with which the stems are covered. 



2. C. grandiflorus NIGHT-BLOWING CEREUS. Mr. Gosse 

 writes : " The magnificent flowers are seldom seen. The plant 



* ' Le Bon Jardinier,' pour 1866, p. 567. 



