THE CACTACEAE. 



Plant 8 meters high or less, sometimes branching at the base, sometimes with a definite trunk 

 up to 3.5 dm. in diameter, smooth when old; branches 8 to 10-ribbed, more or less glaucous; spines 

 acicular, gray, the longer ones 4 cm. long; flower-bud obtuse or rounded at apex, covered with 

 overlapping scales, these obtuse and brown; flowers pinkish, 7 cm. long; inner perianth-segments 

 white; style exserted before the flower opens; fruit subglobose, about 5 cm. in diameter, spiny, 

 edible, the pulp red. 



Type locality: South America, but no definite locality cited. 



Distribution: Northern coast of Venezuela and adjacent islands; Curasao; Aruba; 

 Bonaire; Margarita; Patos Island, Trinidad; and now cultivated in many parts of tropical 

 America for its delicious fruits. 



Cereus polygonatus (Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 91. 1837) was given as a synonym of C. 

 eburneus polygonus. 



Cactus coquimbanus, a Chilean species, has sometimes been confused with this species. 



Cereus gladiger, sometimes referred to Cels and sometimes to Eemaire as the author, 

 seems to have come originally from Colombia. 



In this species as well as in many others, abnormal forms occur, among which is C. 

 eburneus monstrosus Salm-Dyck (De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 4 6 5- 1828). 



Cereus enriquezii (Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 19: 92. 

 1909) was sent to Europe from Jalapa, Mexico, by 

 Sefior Murrilo. It is considered by W. Weingart to 

 be C. eburneus monstrosus. 



The common cultivated species of Mexico seems 

 to belong here. 



According to Boldingh, this cactus is known in 

 the Dutch West Indies as daatoe, kadoesji, and jaatoe. 

 It is widely grown on Curasao Island as a hedge plant, 

 where the branches are planted close together in rows. 



According to Captain Eens, poor people of Curacao 

 use the fleshy branches as a vegetable. Mr. Harold G. 

 Foss states that in the region of Coro, Venezuela, the 

 natives use the wood in making the roofs and walls of 

 their houses. The heart wood is split into two pieces 

 and then tied to the rafters so as to form the support 

 for the mortar and tiles. The wood is rich in potash, 

 and the ash from it is shipped in large quantities to the 

 United States for use as a fertilizer. 



Illustration: Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: pi. 67. 



Plate xiii, figure 2, shows the top of a plant collected on Curacao. Figure 129 is from 

 a photograph taken by Mrs. J. N. Rose on the same island in 1916. 



4. Lemaireocereus pruinosus (Otto). 



Echinocactus pruinosus Otto in Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 54. 1837. 

 Cactus pruinosus Monville in Steudel, Nom. ed. 2. 1: 246.1840. 

 Cereus pruinosus Otto in Forster, Handb. Cact. 398. 1846. 

 Cereus laevigatas Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1849. 204. 1850. 



Fig. 129. — Lemaireocereus griseus. 



Plant usually tall, with a more or less definite tfunk; ribs 5 or 6, very high, separated by broad 

 intervals; spines few, the radial ones 5 to 7, brownish; central spine solitary, 3 cm. long; flowering 

 areoles large, brown-felted; flowers about 9 cm. long; upper scales and outer perianth-segments r 

 cm. long or less, rounded at apex ; inner perianth-segments longer and thinner than the outer ones, 

 ovary with numerous browri-felted areoles; fruit ovoid, spiny, 6 to 7 cm. long. 



Type locality: Mexico. 

 Distribution: South-central Mexico. 



