796 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Epiphyllums. — These Brazilian plants have very fine and 

 highly-coloured flowers, and if brought on in heat are useful for 

 winter decoration. For pot-work they require to be grafted, 



and the stocks used are 

 Pereskia aculeata and P. Bleo 

 (these should have stems about 

 ift. high); but cuttings are 

 very useful for basket-work 

 on account of their drooping 

 habit. After' grafting, which 

 should- be done in spring, 

 they should be grown on in 

 warmth longer the first year 

 than would be done if the 

 plants were well established. 

 These plants like more heat 

 than most of the Cacti during 

 winter; further, they cannot 

 bear to be kept quite so dry 

 during that time. If a tempera- 

 ture of about 6odeg. is allowed 

 they will open their flowers 

 in winter ; but this tempera- 

 ture should be reduced by 

 5deg. when the blossoms 

 are well open. E. Russell- 

 ianum (Fig. 532) has small 

 branches about iin. long; 

 the flowers are red, with 

 narrow petals. E. truncatum 

 has branches from iin. to 

 3in. long, with rose-coloured 

 _flowers and curved petals. 

 There are many hybrids 

 between these, amongst 

 which the following may 

 receive , notice : E. bicolor* purple and white ; E. coccineum, 

 scarlet ; E. Gcertneri (a hybrid between an Epiphyllum and a 

 Cereus), with beautiful scarlet and violet flowers, resembling 

 those of a Cereus ; E. salmoneum, salmon ; and E. tricolor, 

 salmon-red and purple. • 



Leuchtenbergia is a remarkable genus, for, with the exception 

 of the flower, it has rather the appearance of an Agave than a 

 Cactus. The tubercles have the shape of the leaves of that 

 plant. It should be kept in a warm house in winter, getting all 

 the sun possible, and succeeds best in a sunny frame in summer. 

 L. principis is the only species. It reaches a height of about 

 ift. or a little more, with an erect stem ; the leaf-like tubercles 



Fig. 531. — F-chinopsis Eyriesii 

 flore-pleno. 



