Chapter V. 

 EPIPHYLLUM. 



Epiphyttwn truncatum (Crab Cactus) was introduced here from 

 Brazil in 1818, when it was called Cactus Epiphyllum ; the name 

 Cactus being used then in a generic sense. Numerous varieties of 

 it have originated in English gardens. It grows on the trunks and 

 branches of large trees, and occasionally on the ground, up to an 

 elevation of 6,000 feet in the Organ Mountains. E. Russellianum 

 was introduced in 1839, and first flowered in the Duke of Bedford's 

 garden, at Woburn. E. Gaertneri, introduced in 1884, is the 

 sturdiest of the three, and it has tufts of brown hairs at the bases 

 of the tiowers, which are starshaped and coloured bright scarlet. 



Epiphyllums are distinguished from other genera by their 

 flattened, long, slender green, leaf-like branchlets, growing out of 

 the ends of each other, like the segments of crab's claws, to a length 

 of several feet. The stems become woody and almost cylindrical 

 with age, the axes of the branchlets swell out, and the edges either 

 disappear or remain attached, like a pair of wings. 



Cultivation. 



Epiphyllums require the temperature of an intermediate house, 

 where they can be kept moderately close and moist, and shaded 

 from bright sunshine. Some growers recommend the conditions of 

 a hot, dry house ; but we have never seen good specimens grown in 

 this way. In summer the plants should be syringed morning and 

 evening ; by the end of August they will have completed their 

 growth, and should then be gradually exposed to sunshine and air, 

 discontinuing the use of the syringe, but the plants should always 

 be kept supplied with a little moisture at the root and in the air 

 about them during the winter months. The soil most suitable for 

 them is a mixture of peat, loam, and sand, with the addition of a 

 little rotted manure They do not require much root-room, but if 

 too small pots are used, the head of the plant is apt to overbalance it. 

 The stems should be secured to stakes, and, if large specimens are 

 wanted, a wire frame should be made in the form of an umbrella, 

 and the stem and branches fastened to it. Smaller plants may be 

 kept in position by means of a single upright staka, which should 

 be long enough to stand an inch or two above the head of the plant, 

 so that the stoutest branches may be supported from it. In the 

 remarks upon grafting mention is made of the large specimens of 



