CACTI 13 



although never abundant, is delicious (pi. 5, B) ; south of the Tropic 

 of Cancer on the highlands of Mexico garambullos (M yr till o cactus 

 geonnetrizans\ pi. 10, A) furnishes a sweet morsel resembling a 

 gooseberry ; north of Oaxaca, the fruit of Lemaireocereus weberi (pi. 

 10, B) is considerably used under the name " cardon," similar in 

 name to the tuna of Opuntia streptacantha farther north: chilitos are 

 the red, smooth fruits of Mammillaria and related genera (pi. 3, A, 

 B, C, and D; and pi. 11, A, B, C, and D) which are sprightly in 

 flavor and often very palatable, while the fruit of O. imbricata, 

 called tuna "juell" (pronounced whay), which is 3 per cent acid, 

 has been used as a mordant in setting cochineal dye. 



WOOD 



All cactus plants are composed for the most part of soft, water- 

 laden tissue, but the axis of the plant is composed of a woody core, 

 which in some species makes a considerable development, especially 

 in Opuntia and the large species of Cereus and their allies. This 

 wood} 7 portion is always more or less porous and usually of an open, 

 lacelike structure, so that it is of little value as compared to other 

 woods. Nevertheless, it is used to some extent in the manufacture of 

 ornaments and rustic work, but more for its curious structure than for 

 any real value the wood may possess. Some of the cylindrical forms 

 of Opuntia yield rather grotesque and ornamental walking canes, 

 as do also a few of the slender-growing columnar species' of Cereus. 

 These forms also furnish wood for rustic picture frames, ornamental 

 pincushions, trays, inkwell stands, and the like. To a limited extent 

 the wood of the taller growing species forms material in the shape 

 of poles for the construction of fences and temporary huts. 



HEDGES 



Because of their animal-resisting armor of spines, combined with 

 their habit of growth, certain species of cacti are naturally adapted 

 for use as efficient hedge plants wherever they grow in the open 

 throughout the year. The one species most commonly used in Mexico 

 for this purpose is the organo (Pachy cereus {Cereus) marginatus) 

 (pi. 4, C), so called because of its fancied resemblance to the pipe 

 of an organ. It branches freely from the base near the surface of 

 the ground, and these branches immediately assume an upright habit 

 of growth. Growing closely together they soon produce an impene- 

 trable barrier. Its habits of growth recommend it, since there are 

 scarcely any branches above the base and these never spread and 

 cover any great area, thus making a compact, dense, and compara- 

 tively narrow hedge. Lemaireocereus {Cereus) stellatus (pi. 4, A) 

 and L. (C.) weberi (pi. 10, B) are also used in the regions where 

 they are abundant as native plants, but they have the disadvantage 

 of making a thicker and more open hedge and consequently cover 

 more ground. Where narrowness of the hedge is of minor impor- 

 tance, many of the taller growing species of Opuntia make an equally 

 serviceable barrier and are at all times decorative, especially when 

 bearing an abundance of flowers and fruits. 



Similar use is made of the leafy cacti (Pereskia) in some tropical 

 countries. The Barbados gooseberry is commonly put to this use. 



