Fig. 300. — Flower of Aporocactus conzatlii. 

 Fig. 301. — Flower of Aporocactus martianus. 



STROPHOCACTUS. 



Type locality: Mexico. 



Distribution : Central Mexico. 



This species is usually associated with Aporocactus flagelli- 

 formis, but, owing to its more regular flower, Berger was disposed 

 to refer it elsewhere. It is known to us 

 only from description and illustrations. 



Illustrations: Bliihende Kakteen2: 

 pi. 65; Curtis's Bot. Mag. 66: pi. 3768; 

 Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 9: 105; Rep. 

 Mo. Bot. Gard. 16: pi. 12, f. 1, as 

 Cereus martianus. 



Figure 301 is copied from Curtis's 

 Botanical Magazine plate 3768. 



The following description is based 

 on a plant of this relationship, but it 

 differs from figured specimens in the 

 broader perianth-segments, shorter 

 flower- tube, and red filaments. It was 

 obtained from the Theodosia B. Shep- 

 herd Company, Ventura, California, and flowered in Washington, D. C, in 1916. 



Ribs 5 to 7, separated by broad intervals, somewhat undulate; areoles about 1 cm. apart, 

 circular, bearing white wool and spines; spines about 10, acicular, yellow; flower-bud acute; flowers 

 dark red, 9 cm. long, the tube shorter than the limb; tube-proper about 2 cm. long; throat 1.5 cm. 

 long; scales on the ovary numerous, narrow, their axils with white wool and clusters of spines; axils 

 of upper scales naked; outer perianth-segments narrow, acute; inner perianth-segments broadly 

 lanceolate, 1.5 cm. broad, acute, carmine; stamens erect, not quite as long as the inner perianth- 

 segments; filaments carmine; style carmine, weak, about as long as the filaments; stigma-lobes 

 white ; fruit not known. 



The only flower seen opened in the early morning and was still open at half-past one. 

 9. STROPHOCACTUS Britton and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: 262. 19 13. 



As epiphytic cactus, the stems twining and climbing by aerial roots emitted along the midnerve, 

 thin, broad, fiat, somewhat branching, the margins bearing numerous closely-set areoles; spines 

 numerous, acicular; flowers large, red, narrowly funnelform, nocturnal; ovary and flower-tube with 

 numerous hairs and bristles in the axils of the scales; perianth cutting off from the ovary as in 

 Cereus; fruit ovoid, with a truncate apex, its areoles bristly; seeds black, ear-shaped, with an open 

 hilum. 



Mr. Berger proposed a subgenus Phyllocereus for this plant, supposing it represented 

 a connecting link between Phyllocactus and Cereus. Its flat stems are like those of Epi- 

 phyllum; its flower is most like that of Selenicereus. Berger's name, while appropriate, 

 could not be used because of the Phyllocereus Miquel (Bull. Sci. Phys. Nat. Neerl. 112. 1839) . 

 The name is from the Greek, referring to the twisting or turning of the stem about trees. 



A monotypic genus of the Amazonian forests, still rare in collections. 



1. Strophocactus wittii (Schumann) Britton and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: 262. 1913. 

 . Cereus wittii Schumann, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 10: 154. 1900. 



A thin, very flat plant, often 1 dm. broad, growing appressed to trunk of trees; joints broad, 

 leaf-like, 3 or 4 times as long as broad, rounded at base and apex, with a stout central vein and nearly 

 entire margin; areoles small, closely set along the margin of the joints, 6 to 8 mm. apart, bearing 

 tufts of wool and bristles besides the spines; spines numerous, acicular, yellowish brown, 12 mm° 

 long or less; flowers elongated, large, 25 cm. long; tube elongated, tapering upward, only about half 



