OEBEUS. 49' 



a fast-growing species, and is benefited by a rather richer compost than 

 that usually afforded such plants, a small proportion of old manure being 

 incorporated with the loam and sand employed. 



The stems often assume a reddish hue, are about 1 J to 2 inches in diameter, 

 with three to five rather deep ridges, furnished with prominent clusters of 

 spines m dense tufta of white wool-like substance. The flowers vary greatly 

 in tint, usually presenting a beautiful combination of scarlet and purplish 

 crimson, the petals being quite glossy and shining in sunlight. They vary' 

 in size from 6 to 8 inches, the petals expanding fully with abundant stamens. 

 "When cut and placed in water they will last three or four days, retaining all 

 their brilliance of colour for that period. The fruits are green, ovate in 

 form, 1 to IJ inch long, with a pleasantly flavoured subacid pulp, somewhat 

 suggestive of nearly ripe Gooseberries. 



The species was originally introduced from Mexico to Madrid, and was 

 thence sent to Paris by the Comte de Salm. It passed to this country, and 

 is believed to have first flowered in the collection of the Comtesse de' 

 Tandes about 1820, when it was figured in the " Botanical Register " (t. 486). 

 Numberless varieties have been raised from 0. speoiosissimus, as it seeds 

 freely and crosses readily with other species. Many years ago Mr. Donald 

 Beaton raised scores of seedlings from crosses between that and 0. flagelli- 

 formis, and has stated that he never found a barren seedling. Mr. Pressley> 

 gardener to W. Boyd, Esq., Plaistow, also raised some seedhngs about 1832, 

 some of which were exhibited, one named lateritius being described as of a 

 very beautiful scarlet tint. Much attention was given to these plants about 

 that time, for Sir Edmund Antrobus is said to have exhibited specimens 

 with from 200 to 300 flowers each, which were as greatly admired then as large 

 specimen Orchids are now. I have been informed that an extremely large 

 plant of this Cereus, producing hundreds of flowers every season, is grown 

 on the back wall of a vinery at The Grange, Barnet, the residence of Sir 

 Charles Nicholson, Bart. 



G. SPEOIOSISSIMUS HTBKIDTTS [Mallisoni]. — A beautiful hybrid from 

 C. speoiosissimus (the seed parent) and 0. flagelliformis, which is deservedly 

 a great favourite in many gardens. It was raised over fifty years ago by 

 Mr. Mallison, gardener to Sir Samuel Scott, and is curiously intermediate 

 between the parents, resembling the seed parent in the size, colour, and form 

 of the flowers, and the other in habit, though with rather stronger stems. 

 It has bright rosy crimson flowers 4 to 6 inches in diameter, very freely pro- 

 duced, and most handsome when the stems are trained to a rafter and then 

 allowed to hang over a path. It is grown in this way at Kew, where a fine 

 specimen is grafted upon a stem of C. MaoDonaldiEe. It requires a rather 

 warm position in a stove, 



C. MAcDoNALDiiE, SocJcer. — A handsome slender-stemmed species, which 

 ought to be grown much more generally than it is at present, for it is one of 

 the finest of the night-flowering Cactese. It resembles C. grandiflorus in the 

 size and appearance of the flowers, which are frequently 12 to 14 inches in 



