Septembfr 



1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



689 



THE NIGHT^FLOWERING 



CACTUS AT KEW, 



For many years past one of the features 

 of the hirge Succulent House at Kew has 

 been the fine healthy specimen of Cereus 

 triangularis trained on wires near the roof, 

 wliif'h, <luring the summer months, pro- 

 duces large numbers of its extremely han<l- 

 some flowers. During bright weather 

 these open in the evening and close again 

 as soon as tlie sun rea^'hes thom, usually 

 between 7 and 8 a.m. Should dull weather 

 intervene the blooms will remain expanded 

 up till eleven oV-lock. This has occiu-red 

 frequently of late, and on several occasions 

 as many as thirty flowers have been open 



green in colour^ are freely armeil with 

 short spines, and send off at intervals 

 clusters of aerial roots. Tliis cat-tus is of 

 very easy cidture, thriving under quite 

 diverse conditn^iis. 1 a in informed that it 

 thrives equally a.s well under the moist, 

 tropical conditions on the coast in the West 

 Indies as it does under the cooler con<li- 

 tions of the Succulent House at Kew. This 

 species has been in cultivation in this coun- 

 try for w-oW ovoy L>(K) years, havijig Iteen 



recor<led as being grown at Hanii)ton Court 

 in 1690. 



There are several otlier ^pe; i<\v ot niuht- 

 I)loouiing cacti in cultivatitni. all of whl-h 

 bear white, or creamv-white fl.iwers of 

 large size, and ar<^ of slender climbing 

 lialiit. The commonest of these are C 

 grandiflorus, C. Macdonaldia\ C. nvcti- 



HIBISCUS SYRIACUS. 



This shrubby memljer of the mallow 

 family is in many ])Iaees flowering with 

 great freedom ; ])ei liaj)s tlie ( xcepiionai 

 heat of la^t yeai- bad soniethuig to lio with 

 it. Complaints are sometinies ma<le that 

 in the noitliern j)aris of tlie country this 

 <*annot b(^ depended n jH)n, but in the 

 southern j>oition at least it is a valuable 

 late siininiei- and <'a riy a ill u nin-llowering 

 shi"ul>. Ii su«-eeiNls b,w! in a dec^p. weil- 

 <li-aine(l soil, and a ^-uuny spot. TIut,^ is 

 quite a long list of \arit>ties. but though 

 tastes difl'er, 1 prefer t host* with single 

 ratlu'r than <louble flowers. Of the single- 

 flower<ul vai'ieties a par i i^ ularly good pur<^ 

 white form \\as. uiuler tlie uaiiie of Snow- 

 flake, giveji an awaid of merit lasi vear 



.... 



THE NIGHT-FLOWERING CACTUS (CEREUS TRIANGULARIS) AT KEW.' ^" ^' 



i;:tmii. 



The Kew specimen has produced 

 flowers this season up to the pre- 



together. 

 over 200 

 sent. 



The flowers are about ten inches in dia- 

 meter when fully expandcxl, and are rather 

 sweetly scentetl. Tlie tube is some six 

 niches long, and an inch to an inch and 

 adialf m diametei-. The iniuM- ])etals are 

 pure white, and an ineli in diameter, the 

 outer ones, gradually changing to yellow- 

 ]^h-])rown sepals, and* becoming shorter and 

 narrower, until those at the bas<^ of 

 the tube are paje green and only an inch 

 or so long. The stamens which fill the 

 \vhole of the centre of the flower are sup- 

 ported on long slender, creamy-white fila- 

 ments. The wholo tlower is chaste and 

 beautiful, but unfortunatelv 



calusj and C. rostratus. They <lo m)t thrive 

 or flower so fieeh' as the speci<\s herewith 

 illustrated. C. P. nAiiii,L. 



<^nce ami then < loses and fades. 



only opens 



The whole plant covers an area of siv 

 eight yards, and is planted out in a 

 narrow strip of open soil placed on the 

 stage. The stems are triangular rich <lark 



Passiflcra cserulea-— Despite fho 



fact that this passion flower is a native of 

 Brazil, it is much hardier than many con- 

 sider it to be, and in different parts of t\w 

 country it is justly valued as an outdoor 

 climber. Not the least desirable feature 

 possessed by it is the length of time over 

 which the season of blooming extends^ whilo 

 the blossoms are totally distinct from'^any- 



else in our gardens. The white- 

 flowered variety, Constance Elliot, is also 

 equally hardy with the type. In the more 

 favoured parts the egg-shaped fruits, which 

 are suspended on long stalks, and become 

 yellow when ripe, form another attractive 

 feature. From these fruits seedling plants 



mav be raised, while it can also be verv 

 readily raised from cuttings. — W. T. 



by the Koyal Hnrtieidtural So< iety. The 

 rich violet-bhu^ variety Co^h'st,^ is another 

 beautiful singh^ tlower : whih^ l*ainted 

 Lady, whose petals are white, or nearlv so, 

 with a crimson hloteh at the base of each, is 

 also very elie[ti\e. In the double kinds 

 tiuae is a wiile lange oi eolour. and these 

 are admired by many. These varii^ticvS are 

 grown in a wlH)lesaie manner in some of 

 the Continental nnisei ies. I)eing grafted or 

 bn<lded on to seedling stocks ot the typical 

 kind. They are in tliis way disposed* of at 

 a very cheap rat(^ S. W. 



thing 



Cyrtostachys renda.— This is an 



uncommon palm, and one more iiarticiilar in 

 its cultural requirements than many ol tlie 

 others. It is a native of the MalaV Archi- 

 pelago, and needs a moist stove for' its suc- 

 cessful culture. The foliatrc is hanH.s(>ni€, 

 but the most prominent feattuv^ i.-^ tlie bright 

 red leaf stalks, from which eireunistanc4> it 

 has been referred to at> the rhubarb i>a]m 

 K. 



