Plants. CX 



Fol. FL No. 55, 



SOUTH - AMERICAN CEREI, 



The Cerei, being met with in European 

 hot - houses , originally come from the war- 

 mer countries of South - America and from 

 the Islands situated between the tropics next 

 to America. They are all together juicy pul- 

 pous plants, drawing their moisture and nou- 

 rishment more from the air, than from the 

 soil, and thriving therefore in the hottest 

 climates upon the driest .sand or stony ground. 

 These plants commonly have no peculiar lea- 

 ves , but only consist of stocks and branches, 

 which in the different species are of a diffe- 

 rent , but always thoroughly uniform figure, 

 partly composed of mere leaf-like members, 

 now of such as are cylindrical, now more or 

 lefs angular longish ones, beset with tufts of 

 pricks. Such an uniformity of stocks and 

 branches serves the more to set of the beauti- 

 ful structure and colour of the flowers, which 

 commonly but after sun - setting only once 

 open , and a few hours past again are for ever 

 closed. The fruits of this plant resemble to 



the figs, are eatable and of an agreeable sou- 

 rish flavour- 



On the present table appears represented' 



The common Melon thistle. 



(Cactus Melo cactus'). 



The members of the stock are of the big- 

 nefs of a human head , and of a melon - like 

 figure, furrow'd all-around from above till be- 

 low, so that many — commonly 14 high ribs 

 or edges appear, armed on their back with 

 tufts of pricks. When the plant is preparing 

 to produce flowers or fruits, it pushes forth at 

 the upper part a cylindrical high and big shaft 

 hairy and prickly; and out of this issue all- 

 around, but most frequently at the top many 

 flowers, at first rose-coloured, at last redde- 

 ning like a cochineal. Each of these flowers 

 is round-about seated upon a fruit -knot , that 

 afterwards unfolds itself to a fig -like deep co- 

 chineal- red pulpous fruit, upon which the 

 withered flower sitting preserves itself. 



