6 THE FANTASTIC CLAN 



thorns, half an Inch to an Inch long or longer; pale yellowish 

 brown flowers, quite small and clustering toward the tips of 

 the stems. As we stop a moment here in Lower California 

 to view him, we see that he is somewhat interesting, but 

 though a member of the noble tribe of Cereus not attractive 

 to us as a weird cactus, having little to suggest the dignity 

 and grandeur of the giant Sahuaro, the uniqueness of the 

 Pipe Organ with its finest of fruit, or the exquisite blossoms 

 of la Reina de Noche, queen among desert flowers. 



Old Man Cactus (Cereus senilis) 



Mexico 



Next in line of our fashion parade comes the Cereus senilis, 

 sometimes called by the botanists Cephalocereus senilis (a 

 polite way of saying "old man"). For a long time he has 

 been one of the most popular of the Cactus Clan. He grows 

 well in cactus gardens and conservatories, here and in 

 Europe, and is greatly In demand on both continents; his 

 habitat is the limestone foothills and mountains in northern 

 and central Mexico, and is rather inaccessible. We find that 

 the radial spines of the young plants are transformed into 

 coarse white translucent hairs from four to twelve inches 

 long, and, being deflexed like long gray hairs, suggest the 

 name of "Old Man Cactus." In the varying conditions and 

 locations where he grows, he is sometimes called the 

 "Bunny" or the "White Persian Cat" cactus. All the spines 

 are fragile and break easily, and hence the Old Man cactus 

 should not be handled more than Is necessary. In maturity he 

 grows around his head a dense mass of tawny wool, some- 

 times longer on one side suggesting a hat cocked to left or 

 right, which gives the tall plant a most grotesque and rakish 

 appearance. This cactus Is columnar and little branched; in 

 some instances he grows to a height of forty-five feet, and 



