130 CACTUS CULTURE FOR AMATEURS. 



X. salicornoides. 



An erect plant 3 feet or more high. Stem woody when old, 

 brown, jointed like hens' toes, not quite as thick as a goose-quill- 

 Branches in clusters ; joints J to 1 inch long, the lower half much 

 thinner than the upper, so that the joints look like a number of 

 superposed, miniature clubs. Flowers on the ends of the terminal 

 joints, yellow, becoming red with age. Brazil. An attractive 

 remarkable-looking plant when it is in flower in spring. Var. stricta 

 has the joints all pointing upwards, and is more compact in growth 

 than the type. 



It. sarmentacea. 



A creeping, prostrate plant, with fluted stems as thick as a 

 goose- quill, which attach themselves to tree- trunks or other bodies 

 by means of numerous adventitious roots, which spring from the 

 under side of the stems. Surface of stem covered with numerous 

 small clusters of short, hair-like, whitish spines. Flowers 1 inch 

 across, with pointed, creamy- white petals ; stamens spreading ; 

 stigma erect, four-lobed. Fruit small, currant-like. Should be 

 grown in a stove in a basket of peat fibre, or on a piece of soft 

 fern-stem. It is always attached to the branches of trees when 

 wild. (Fig. 66.) 



R. Swartziana. 



Older stems three- angled, young ones flattened, jointed ; joints 

 2 inches broad, stiff, with deep notches. Flowers in the notches, 

 small, white, produced in June. Jamaica. Stiff, Phyllocactus- 

 like. About 2 feet high. 



R. trigona. 



Habit straggling ; branches usually forked, J inch in diameter, 

 three- angled ; angles wavy or slightly notched, grey-green. Flowers 

 small, produced in spring in the notches of the angles, white. 

 Fruit a white berry. Brazil. 



A large number of species have lately been added to the culti- 

 vated representatives of this genus. They are, however, chiefly 

 of botanical interest, few fanciers caring to grow more than half- 

 a-dozen or so, the flowers being in most cases small and unattrac- 

 tive. The following may be noted : R. PULVINIGERA, similar 

 to R. floccosa, branches terete, flowers small, white and green ; 

 R. RBGNELLH, similar to R. Houlletii, but the flowers are 

 smaller; R. DISSIMILIS, in the way of E. funalis, with stout, 

 jointed, cylindric stems, bearing tufts of setae J inch long ; 

 R. ROBUSTA, stems stout, terete, with flowers near apex ; R. 

 HADROSMA, stems terete, light green, flowers transparent white. 

 These are all Brazilian. 



