154 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Of the same general type is the sea-urchin 

 cactus (Echinopsis). If it were not for the 

 ridges these plants would look like gourds 

 standing on their small ends. They some- 

 times reach a diameter of twelve inches, but 

 as grown in the window garden, rarely exceed 

 half that size. The stem has anywhere 

 from a dozen to eighteen sharp ridges. The 

 flowers are about six inches long, trumpet- 

 shaped, and either red, pink, or white. The 

 two most commonly grown species are E. 

 multiplex^ with rose-red flowers, but blooming 

 seldom, and E. Eyriesii, which has white 

 flowers produced freely. 



One of the most curious is the living rock 

 cactus {Anhalonium E7igelmanni, known 

 in the trade as A. £ssuratum), sometimes 

 also called "dry whiskey," because a very 

 strong, intoxicating drink is made by crush- 

 ing the plant and adding a little water. 



Among the very smallest are the mammil- 

 larias, seldom growing over six inches high. 

 They get their name because they are cov- 

 ered with tubercles, instead of ridges. These 

 are usually set in rows which twist spirally 

 around the plants. On the end of each 

 tubercle is a cluster of small spines. The 



