MKDIOCACTl'S. 



Key to Species. 



Flowers 25 to 30 cm. long; eastern coast of South America 1. M. cocchteus 



Flowers 38 cm. long; western Andes 2. M. megalanthui 



1. Mediocactus coccineus (Salm-Dyck). 



Ceretu coccineus Salm-Dyck in De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 469. 1828. 

 Cereus setaceus Salm-Dyck in De Candolle, Prodr. 3:469. 1828 

 Ccrcus setaceus viridior Salm-Dyck, Hort. Dyck. 65. 1834. 

 Cereus lindbergiunus Weber in Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 151. 1897. 

 Cereus liitdmauii Weber in Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 163. 1897. 

 Cereus hassleri Schumann, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 10: 45. 1900. 



Stems usually climbing on trees, sometimes 

 clambering over rocks or walls, developing 

 many aerial roots, the joints pale green, various, 

 sometimes S cm. broad, often only 2 cm. broad; 

 angles usually 3, but sometimes 4 or evens on 

 the same plant; young areoles 5 to 10 mm. 

 apart, bearing brown felt and 10 to 15 white, 

 radial, deciduous bristles followed by several 

 spines; areoles of mature branches 2 to 3 cm. 

 apart; spines at first pinkish, then brown or 

 yellowish brown, conic, 1 to 2 mm. long, more 

 or less swollen at base, usually only 2 or 3, 

 sometimes more, rarely only 1 ; flowers 25 to 30 

 cm. long; outer perianth-segments linear, green, 

 widely spreading; inner perianth-segments 

 erect, broader than outer, upper margins 

 serrate; style exserted, yellow; stigma-lobes 

 about 16, linear, entire, yellow; the fruit 

 somewhat pointed, 7 cm. long, edible, strongly 

 tuberculate when young, its areoles bearing a 

 cluster of spines 1 to 2 cm. long; flesh white; 

 seeds black. 



Type locality: Brazil. 



Distribution: Argentina to Brazil. 



All writers on the Cactaceae, including 

 Salm-Dyek, are agreed that the Cereus cocci- 

 neus described by De Candolle (Prodr. 3 : 

 469. 1828) is different from the plant after- fio. 290.— Mediocactus coccineus. 



Fig. 291. — Mediocactus coccineus. 



