96 CACTUS CULTURE FOR AMATEURS. 



are in clusters of about twenty, white, hair-like, stiff, and J inch 

 long ; central spines from four to six, a little longer. Flowers from 

 apex of stem, 1J inch long and wide, and composed of about thirty 

 fimbriated sepals and twenty-five to forty narrow petals ; colour 

 bright purple. Fruit \ inch long, green when ripe. Flowers in 

 May and June, expanding after midday. Abundant in the North 

 West plains and Rocky Mountains of North America. In New 

 York it is commonly cutivated as a hardy garden plant, bearing 

 exposure to frost and snow without suffering ; but it does not thrive 

 out of doors unless protected from heavy rains in winter. The 

 variety radiosa (Fig. 50) has larger flowers and shorter spines, 



M. Wildiana, 



Stems tufted, 3 inches high by about 2 inches in diameter, 

 bearing spiral rows of clavate, dark green, crystallised tubercles 

 | inch long, crowned with about ten radial white spines, J inch long, 

 the three upper spines, and the solitary central hooked one, being 

 yellow. Flowers small, numerous, rose-coloured, lined with purple, 

 developed in summer. Mexico, at an altitude of 5000 feet, growing 

 on lava and basalt, and even on the tiunks of trees. Thrives on a 

 shelf in a sunny greenhouse. 



M. Wrightii. 



Stem rounded, pegtop-like at the base, the top flattened, about 

 3 inches across ; tubercles conical, i inch long, shining green, each 

 bearing a tuft of six or eight straight, hair-like, white spines, i inch 

 long, and two hooked central spines. Flowers 1 inch long and wide, 

 bright purple ; succeeded by egg-shaped, purple berries, 1 inch long. 

 Mexico. Prefers a warm house and plenty of moisture and sunlight 

 during the summer, but in winter, when at rest, it ought to be kept 

 dry on a shelf. 



M. Zucchariniana. 



Stem simple, globose, 10 inches high by about 7 inches 

 in diameter ; tubercles dark green, conical, \ mcn broad, with 

 four to six spines springing from the areole a little below the 

 point ; spines ash-coloured, stiff, black-tipped. Flowers in a 

 ring about the top of the stem, 1 inch long, the tube enveloped in 

 long, black, twisted hairs ; sepals brown-purple ; petals narrow, 

 purple-rose ; stamens white and yellow ; stigma rose-coloured. 

 Flowers in June and July. Mexico. Easily kept in health, and 

 flowering freely if grown on a shelf in a cool greenhouse in winter 

 and placed in a warm, sunny position out of doors in summer. It 

 produces seeds freely, and plants 3 inches or more in diameter may 

 be obtained in two years from seeds. By grafting it, when young, 

 on the stem of a Cereus or cylindrical Opuntia, a healthy, drumstick- 

 like plant is obtained. 



