Cactaceous and Succulent Plants. 75 



Cereus triangularis. A West Indian climbing 

 Cactus, common in the Egyptian gardens. It has 

 large, creamy-white flowers, which open at night, and 

 thick succulent three-cornered sterns, which fasten 

 themselves to a wall or tree by their woody roots. 

 They are easily propagated from cuttings, and rooted 

 portions of the stems are often used as stocks for 

 grafting the Epiphyllum and other weak growing Cacti. 



The following are a few suitable varieties worth 

 cultivating : C. Bonpladi, C. hexagonus, C. grandiflorus, 

 and C. tetragonus. Care should be taken that large 

 plants do not become over-grown or entangled, and 

 an annual cutting-out of the crowded and weak stems 

 should be made. 



Kleinia repens. A dwarf creeping succulent, closely 

 allied to the Senecio (Groundsel), the double varieties 

 of which form handsome garden plants. It has 

 round finger-shaped leaves, which are covered with a 

 milky-white bloom. A useful plant for hot sunny 

 borders or rockeries. Propagated by cuttings in May. 



Euphorbiaceae. A large family of about three 

 thousand species, including many trees and shrubs, some 

 of which have already been mentioned. The order, is 

 widely diffused throughout the world ; but more 

 abundantly in the hot, dry regions of South America. 

 The succulent varieties are distinguished from the true 

 cacti by their milky juice, which is often exceedingly 

 poisonous. Several species yield valuable medicines, 

 while others yield a gum from which a paint is 

 prepared, which prevents corrosion on the bottoms of 

 iron ships. Many varieties grow well in the gardens here. 



Epiphyllum truncation. A common pot plant, 

 usually grafted either on the Cereus or Pereskia stock. 

 (The latter is a thorny climber, bearing clusters of 

 white flowers). It can also be grafted on the 

 Bougainvillea stock, which is said to impart a deep 

 majenta colour into the flowers. 



The Epiphyllum, which bears in the autumn numbers 

 of dark pink blossoms, is grafted in May on stocks, 



