Extension and Use of the Cacti. 159 



towards the south, on the road to Napale. The Cacti grow, however, only on 

 the largest islands of the group, where they were introduced, and have been 

 for a long time in cultivation ; but none are found on the smaller islands. 



We are indebted to Baron von Karwinski for the meaning of some of the 

 Spanish and Portuguese names given to the Cacti in America ; such as : 

 the great pillared cereus is called in Mexico Cardones ; the Pereskia and 

 thorny Opuntia Espinos. The species of Echinocactus are called Visnaga, on 

 account of their long spines, which resemble toothpicks, the rays of the umbels 

 of the Visnaga (.'I'mmi Visnaga Lam., in French Herbe aux cure-dents) 

 being cut off and used for that purpose. The Portuguese Brazilian name of 

 the Echinocacti is Cabeza do Frade, which signifies monk's hood (not monk's 

 pate) ; and the word Pitahaya, which is used in Brazil for several kinds of 

 Cereus, is by no means American, but is derived from the Spanish, in which 

 language pitayos signifies a long pipe belonging to an organ. 



The use of the Cacti, in the different situations where they grow, is more 

 various than is generally believed. Cerei and Opuntiae serve in many places 

 as enclosures for pieces of land, and are sometimes used in entrenchments. In 

 North America, the hills on which small forts are erected are thickly planted 

 with Yucca gloriosa, to keep off the enemy; and so, in like manner, according 

 to Turpin and others, the large long prickly Opuntias, and BromehVz Pinguin, 

 are planted in the Spanish part of St. Domingo, with the same object. The 

 Opuntiae are used also as hedges, but they are not very suitable for the purpose, 

 because the stems, at a certain height above the soil, are bare and without 

 branches, and therefore there is a considerable space left open between them.* 

 Plants of the genus Cereus are therefore in most general use among the Indians 

 of Mexico for hedges for their fields, and the species most common is small, 

 and has usually from 5 to 6 angles ; it is without branches, and attains a height 

 of from 8 ft. to 10 ft, and when old is thickly set with strong spines ; but of this 

 species we have, unfortunately, but little knowledge. There are Indian villages, 

 consisting of from 400 to 500 houses, which have each particular pieces of 

 land, of a considerable size, surrounded by such living hedges, planted from 4 ft. 

 to 5 ft. apart. Hedges are seldom seen here of Pereskfa erassicaulis. The 

 drj- stems of the stronger Cerei are used in the mountainous parts of Chile and 

 Peru (where wood does not abound), as timber, in constructing houses, on 

 account of their being light, and therefore easily conveyed from one place to 

 another ; and although this timber appears of a spongy structure, yet, accord- 

 ing to Poppig, it forms an excellent article for fuel, and is very much used 

 every where in those places where wood is scarce, and particularly in the 

 neighbourhood of Copiano, where it is in great repute for melting copper. It 

 is also used in St. Domingo for torches ; and the young stems of some 

 species, after they have been soaked, and thereby freed of all the cellular tissue, 

 are tied together at the end, and form a very light and elastic cap. The juicy 

 stems form inexhaustible springs for cattle, where water is very scarce. Ac- 

 cording to Von Martius, the mules are very clever in kicking off pieces of the 

 stems of the large Cacti with their hoof's, and then sucking the juice, which 

 flows in abundance. In the high plains of Mexico, immense groups of Cerei, 

 Opuntiae, and Echinocacti afford the only means of satisfying the thirst of the 

 innumerable herds of wild animals that abound there, when all the springs of 

 water are dried up. The enormous-sized globes of Echinocactus ingens, and 

 the species nearly allied to it, are used by smugglers in Mexico, for concealing 

 their contraband goods, particularly brandy : for this purpose, the inner part 

 of the plant is scooped out, and the empty space filled with the goods or 

 liquors to be concealed ; the piece of the rind that was cut out is then carefully 

 replaced, and the plant carried to its place of destination. The slimy juice of 

 the Cacti is very much valued by the Indians, on account of its cooling antifebral 



* In the most southern parts of Europe, there are frequently seen long rows 

 of Opuntias on the sides of the roads, which are not planted as hedges, but are 

 only allowed to grow on waste places, on account of the fruit. 



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