_ Dr. Engelmann on the Cereus giganteus of California. 233 
wards, 20-30 lines long; the two upper central spines 15 to 18. 
lines long. The stontest spines are one line in diameter, their 
‘bulbous base being fully twice as thick. ‘The old’ spines together 
with the whole areola readily come off in one bunch, but gener- 
ally the 6 central spines fall off first, leaving the radiating ones 
appressed to the stem, till finally they also fall away. 
he flowers are produced near the summit of the plant, but 
hot on it, and the fruit is usually 6-12 inches from it. 
The dried flower communicated by Mr. Thurber is 3 inches 
long; but the drawing represents the flowers as fully 4 inches in , 
length and diameter. The ovary in the dried specimen is {ths o 
an inch long; the lower naked part of the tube 1 inch, the upper 
staminiferous much widened part 2ths of an inch long. Upper 
sepals fleshy, greenish white, #ths of au inch long, below 2, 
above 4 lines wide. Petals of a light cream color, an inch long, 
6-7 lines wide above, very thick and fleshy, and very much 
curled. Filaments light yellow, adnate to the upper half of the 
tube: anthers 0:8 to 0-9 of a line long, linear, emarginate at the 
base and apex. Style not seen; the drawing represents the nu- 
merous (15-2()?) stigmata as half an inch long, suberect, of a 
green color. The flowers appear to be open night and day, and 
probably for several days in succession. =~ eo 
The fruit seut by Mr. Thurber (in alechol) is obovate 24 inches 
long, by 14 in diameter, beset with about thirty scales, having 
short brownish wool in their axils, but entirely destitute of spines. 
Mr. ‘Thurber informs me that this specimen is: unusually long : 
the fruit, he says, is usually 2 or 3 inches long by 14 to 2 in 
diameter ; the color is green, reddish towards the summit; the 
remains of the flower fall off, leaving a broad and convex scar. 
The pericarp has the hardness of a green cucumber, some what soft- 
er towards the apex, and is about 2 lines thick ; it bursts open on 
the plant with 3 or mostly 4 irregular, interiorly red valves, which 
Spread horizoutally, and appear like a red flower when seen ata 
distance, which accounts for the report of this species having red 
flowers. ‘The crimson-colored and rather insipid pulp has the con- 
sistency of a fresh fig ; it completely separates from, the rind, and 
drying up from the heat of the sun, falls to the ground, or is beat- 
en down, when it is collected by the natives and rolled into balls, 
Which keep several months, or is pressed for the thick molasses- 
like sacharine juice which Jt contains. ‘I'he iunumerable seed 
are 07 to 08 lines long. 
Another, apparently nearly allied species, was collected in 
Northern Sonora. Front the half of a flower before me, tegetlier 
Stooxp Szaus, Vol. XVI, No. 60.— March, 1854. - 80 
