Chapter VII. 

 CEREUS. 



THERE are over 200 distinct species of Cereus distributed over 

 the tropical and temperate regions of America. In Mexico, C. 

 giganteus rears its tall, straight, columnar stems to a height of 60 feet, 

 branching near the top, ;; like petrified giants stretching out their 

 arms in speechless pain, whilst others stand like lonely sentinels 

 keeping their dreary watch on the edge of precipices." Some of 

 them grow near the snow-line in exposed situations on the highest 

 mountains. In the West Indies the night- flowering species are 

 common, their long, creeping stems clinging by means of aerial 

 roots to rocks, or to the exposed trunks of trees, where their large, 

 fragrant flowers are produced in great abundance, expanding only 

 after the sun has set. Between these three types there is great 

 variety in size and form of stem. A good number of the specie 

 are represented in gardens, among them being many that may bt 

 cultivated with success in an ordinary greenhouse or stove. As 

 treated here Cereus includes the plants which are called Echinocereus 

 by some authorities. 



NIGHT-FLOWERING SPECIES. 



The climbing species of Cereus have the remarkable habit of 

 expanding their flowers in the dark. Other species which are 

 not cl mbers have the same habit. Their stems, which are either 

 round or angled, grow to a length of many feet, branching freely as 

 they extend. By means of their aerial roots they attach themselves 

 to rocks or trees in the same way as ivy does, and soon spread over 

 a large space ; they are, therefore, useful for training over the back 

 walls in lean-to houses, or against rafters or pillars exposed to 

 bright sunlight and where there is a good circulation of air. .Soil dees 

 not appear to matter : where there is a little brick rubble, gravel, 

 or even cinders they will grow luxuriantly and produce flowers in 

 abundance. The chief consideration is drainage, without which the 

 loots are liable to rot. The stems should be syringed morning and 

 evening on all bright days in summer, but in winter little or no 

 water is required. 



These plants may be propagated from branches placed in porous 

 soil, which will strike root in a few weeks. A very large example 



