s 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



readily in a brisk heat. A few varieties, notably E. sarmentacea and E. penduliflora, 

 succeed well grafted on thin-stemmed cereus. Some of the kinds thrive best and are 

 seen to greater advantage when suspended near to the glass in a warm house. They 

 should be shaded during the hottest part of sunny days. The most popular species 



are : — E. Cassytha. — Tropical 

 America ; the plant when in fruit 

 bearing a strong resemblance to 

 mistletoe. E. crispata. — White 

 flowers and white pea-like fruits. 

 E. Houlleti. — Brazil; stems long 

 and graceful, branching freely ; 

 flowers straw-coloured and fra- 

 grant ; a popular species. E. 

 mesembryanthemoides. — South 

 America ; compact Mesembryan- 

 themum - like habit of growth ; 

 white star-like flowers. 



SUCCULENTS. 



As already intimated, succu- 

 lents are admirably adapted for 

 associating with Cacti, and, in 

 fact, there is no hard-and-fast 

 cultural line dividing them. Some 

 of the genera previously given as 

 Cacti are actually as much succu- 

 lents as those to be briefly described 

 in this chapter, and it follows that the methods of propagation and cultivation that answer 

 well in one case are equally applicable to the other. No good purpose would, therefore, 

 be served by reiterating what has already been given in that direction. 



Fig. 122. Rhipsalises. 



AGAVE. 



This large genus of dwarf Liliaceus plants, comprises species of a noble, massive 

 character. The best known is Agave americana, commonly known as the American Aloe, 



