CEREUS LEEANUS. 
81 
CEREUS LEEANUS. 
Cereus Leeanus, Hooker (Lee's Cereus). — 
Cactaceas § Cereidce. 
The accompanying illustration of this plant 
has been adapted to our pages from a figure 
just published in the Botanical Magazine. 
We have recently directed attention (p. 47) 
to the improvements which have been from 
time to time effected in that work, and men- 
tioned that a still further change was announced, 
namely, that of adding particulars explanatory 
of the culture of the plants figured. This has 
been commenced, and we cannot do better, 
with a view to inform our readers what the 
Botanical Magazine now is, than quote the 
entire description of the first plate of the new 
volume, which is the beautiful Cereus here 
represented, and which the coloured figure 
there given shows to be remarkably handsome. 
We shall omit the Latin character of the genus 
Cereus, and the Latin description of the species. 
The remainder runs thus : — 
" Presented to the Royal Gardens by Mr. 
Lee, of the Hammersmith Nursery, who re- 
ceived it from France, as an unknown species, 
native of Mexico. If published, it would be 
no easy matter to recognise it from description 
alone. It is only by good figures, takeu from 
perfect flowering specimens of the living plants, 
that we can hope to make known the distin- 
guishing features of the individuals of this 
singular family. The present species is among 
the most beautiful, a free bloomer, and its 
blossoms are large and showy. 
Description. — " Our plant is nearly a foot 
in height, about four inches broad, tapering 
upwards from a nearly cylindrical base, hence 
somewhat conical, the summit being the 
narrowest part : it is furrowed throughout its 
length rather deeply and acutely, forming 
elevated, rather sharp ridges or angles, which 
are studded at short intervals by small dense 
cushion-like tufts of wool, bearing the cluster 
(about twelve in a cluster) of sharp needle- 
shaped aculei, straight, very irregular in length, 
the outer series being the shortest, and gradu- 
ally lengthening till the central, longer and 
shorter [? stouter] than the rest, is about an 
inch long. At and near the summit, four or 
five large handsome brick-rid (inclining to 
blood-colour) flowers are produced. The tube 
(constituting the calyx) is green at the base, 
then yellowish orange, clothed with oblong 
fleshy scales (sepals), acute, tipped with green, 
and bearing at the point a tuft of aciculi or 
bristles. These scales pass rather suddenly 
into petals of an oblong-obovate-acute form, 
spreading and imbi'icated. Stamens nume- 
rous, rather longer than the tube. Style 
columnar. Stigma green, of many erect or 
connivent rays. — W. J. II. 
50. 
" Cultivation. — The general practice with 
cultivators of Cactese, is to grow them in pour 
soil, composed of light loam, mixed with sift- 
ings of lime rubbish, and some sharp sand, 
giving them but little water, and keeping in a 
moderately warm and dry atmosphere. During 
the winter, this treatment, being in imitation 
of the natural climate of the plants, may be 
considered in a general way to be correct ; 
but other elements peculiar to climate are 
wanting, before we can be said to place the 
Cacteas, or any other exotics, under the same 
influences by which they are supported in 
their native localities. It is quite true, that 
we are able to produce an artificial climate, so 
far as temperature, and the hygrometric state 
of the atmosphere are concerned ; but there 
are influences derived from proximity to the 
sea, of certain geological formations, and of 
the greater or less elevation of extensive plains 
in connexion with particular latitudes, which, 
with all our contrivance and appliances, we 
are unable to obtain to any extent. As Cacteaa 
inhabit many climates, growing in the hottest 
and most exposed arid places within the tropics, 
and ranging within 40° to 50° of latitude on 
either side of the equator, it is impossible to 
lay down any other rule for their cultivation 
in our gardens, than an approximate one. 
" The modifications of this rule relate prin- 
G 
