620 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



phantidens, M. gigantothele, M. longimamrna, M. pycna- 

 cantha, M. sulcolonata, M. Winklerii. 



Mesembryanthemum. — An extensive and very 

 varied genus of Cape plants, within whose limits there 

 are plants for the florist, for the amateur who loves plants 

 for structural beauty or singularity, and for those who 

 desire only useful bedding plants. With the exception 

 of the dwarf, fat-leaved sorts, they all grow and strike 

 freely in a mixture of loam and leaf-mould with a dash 

 of sand. The flowering kinds should be kept only two 

 or three years, as the old plants do not grow or flower 



so freely as younger ones. Cuttings should be put in 

 about May. The plants, if dry, will stand a few degrees 

 of frost. 



The best species for the sunny greenhouse, vases, or 

 window -boxes are: — M. barbatum, M. blandurn, M. 

 Brownii, M. candens, M. conspicuum, M. curviflorum, M. 

 cmarginale, M. falcatum, M. formosum, M. glaucum, M. 

 imbricans, M. polyanthum, M. reflexum, M. retrqflexum, 

 M. roseum, M. spectabile. These can be used for bedding 

 purposes very well, as those that require it can be pegged 

 down. 





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I, cucare. 2, holochiysui 



749.— Sempervivums. 

 •i, c;uuiriense. 4, arboreum. 5, urbicum. 



Fleshy-leaved species, which have a fascination for the 

 lover of uncommon types of vegetation: — M. agninum, 

 M. albidum, M. Bolusi, M. cani aunt M. densum, M. dola- 

 briforme, M.fclinum M.Jissum, M.linguceforme, M. mini- 

 mum, M. murinum, M. obconelluia, M. octophyUum, M. 

 tigrinum, and M. vulpinum. These are dwarf-growers, 

 and require more sand and some brick rubbish in the soil, 

 with less moisture. 



Opuntia. — The Prickly Pear or Indian Fig. A large 

 genus which as a rule is characterized by broad, flattened 

 stems, suggestive of battledores. They vary in size and 

 habit, some being tree -like, with woody stems, whilst 

 others trail on the ground. Some species have cylin- 

 drical stems. Many are clothed with long barbed spines, 

 and are used as fences in tropical countries. Their flowers 

 are usually tawny-yellow. The fruit of some are edible. 

 The vitality of the stems is exceptional, small pieces root- 

 ing quickly and soon forming large plants. A few well- 

 marked kinds have a pleasing effect among plants of 

 ordinary appearance. The best are : 0. basilaris, 0. ela- 

 varioides, 0. corrugata, 0. deeumana, 0. elatior, 0. Engel- 

 manni, 0. exuviata, 0. Ficus indica, 0. horrida, 0. maxima, 

 O. microdasys, 0. monacantha, and 0. senilis. 



Phyllocactus.— See special article, p. 488. 



Pilocereus. — The old man Cactus, P. senilis, has long 

 hairs produced freely from the apex of the stem, and is 

 very striking. They do not grow so fast as Cereus, and 

 seldom flower. It is a curious fact that no insects infest 

 them. They are slow growers, and require little water. 



| P. fossulatus, P. glaucescens, P. Hoppenstedtii, P. jubatus. 

 and P. senilis. 



Rhipsalis. — A tropical genus of Cacti. Some have 

 leafless whip-like branches which bear white berries sug- 

 gesting Mistletoe, others have flattened branches as in 

 Epiphyllum ; a few of the latter are worth growing for 

 their flowers. They grow as epiphytes in the forests of 

 Brazil and the West Indies, and are interesting to those 

 who like curious plants. R. Cassytha, Rfunalis, R. Houl- 

 letianus, R. mesembryanthoides, R. pachyptera, R. Saglionis, 

 and R. salicornoides. 



Rochea.— Greenhouse plants related to Crassula. The 

 best known and one of the most decorative of the whole 

 order is R. coccinea (also known as a Crassula and Kalo- 

 santhes), which has erect stems clothed with sheathing 

 decussate leaves, and bearing in summer large corymbose 

 heads of scarlet flowers. This and R. jasminea have been 

 crossed, and their progeny are pretty free-flowering plants 

 of varying flower — colour from white to rose-red. They 

 strike freely from leaves or cuttings put in in spring. R< 

 coccinea, R. jasminea, R. versicolor. (The plant sometimes 

 called R. falcata is a Crassula.) 



Sempervivum. — The greenhouse or Canary Island 

 group of this large family is easily grown in any soil. 

 They form tall handsome plants if grown in a sunny 

 greenhouse, and produce large pyramidal spikes of yellow 

 or gray-white flowers. They are also good plants for 

 sub-tropical bedding purposes, and are easily propagated 

 either by seed or cuttings. 



