THE CACTACEAE. 



1. Aporocactus leptophis (De Candolle) Britton and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 435. 1909. 



Cereus leptophis De Candolle, Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 17: 117. 1828. 

 Cereus flagelliformis leptophis Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 143. 1897. 



Often creeping; branches cylindric, 8 to 10 mm. thick, rather strongly 7 or 8-ribbed; ribs obtuse, 

 somewhat repand; areoles velvety, with 12 or 13 rigid setaceous spines; flower-tube curved just above 

 the ovary; perianth-segments narrowly oblong, 2 to 3 cm. long, about 6 mm. wide. 



Type locality: Mexico. 



Distribution: Mexico. 



Illustrations: De Candolle, Mem. Cact. pi. 12; Forster, Handb. Cact. ed. 2. f. 96; 

 Rumpler, Sukkulenten f. 68, all as Cereus leptophis. 



Plate xl, figure 1, shows a flowering plant in the collection of the New York Botanical 

 Garden. Figure 297 is reproduced from the first illustration above cited. 



2. Aporocactus flagelliformis (Linnaeus) Lemaire, Illustr. Hort. 7: Misc. 68. i860. 



Cactus flagelliformis Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 467. 1753. 



Cereus flagelliformis Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8. No. 12. 1768. 



Cereus flagelliformis minor Salm-Dyck in Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. m. 



1837.* 



Stems at first ascending or erect, but weak and slender or pendent, 1 to 2 cm. in diameter; 

 branches often prostrate and creeping or even pendent; ribs 10 to 12, low and inconspicuous, a 

 little tuberculate; areoles 6 to 8 mm. apart; radial spines 8 to 12, acicular, reddish brown; central 

 spines 3 or 4, brownish with yellow tips; flowers 7 to 8 cm. long, opening for 3 or 4 days, crimson; 

 outer perianth-segments narrow, more or less reflexed ; inner perianth-segments broader, only slightly 

 spreading; fruit globose, small, 10 to 12 mm. in diameter, red, bristly; pulp yellowish. 



Type locality: At first supposed to be from South 

 America. 



Distribution: Reported from Mexico, Central America, 

 and South America; nowhere known to us in the wild state. 



Said to have been introduced from Peru in 1690, but, 

 presumably, originally from 

 Mexico. The species is widely 

 cultivated in all tropical coun- 

 tries. It is very common in 

 Mexico to see this plant about 

 the houses of the poorer Mex- 

 icans, often planted in the end of 

 a cow's horn and hung on the 

 side of the house. This species, 

 too, has cristate forms. 



The plant is known as the 

 rat-tail cactus and is much 

 grown as a window plant. In 

 Mexico the dried flowers are used 

 as a household remedy and sometimes are sold in the drug markets under the name of flor 

 de cuerno. 



This species is recorded by Grisebach, citing Sloane and Swartz, as found in trees, in 

 Jamaica along the coast, but it is not known to occur on that island at the present time. 

 Sloane' s description better applies to Selenicereus grandiflorus. 



Cereus smithii Pfeiffer (Enum. Cact. 1 1 1 . 1837) is a generic hybrid produced by adding 

 the pollen of this species to one of the species of Heliocereus and was made by an English 

 gardener, Mr. Mallison. It is figured in Curtis's Botanical Magazine for 1841 (67: pi. 

 3822) and in Edwards's Botantical Register (19: pi. 1565) and it was said to be one of the 

 best hybrids which had yet been produced. The flower is nearly regular with scarcely any 



* Cereus minor (Weingart, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 18: 49. 1908) doubtless refers to the variety minor given above. 



Fig. 297. — Flower of Aporocactus leptophis. 

 Fig. 298. — Flower of Aporocactus flagriformis. 



