2 Dr, Engelmann on the Cereus giganteus of California, 
bus decussatis quorum infimus longissimus robustissimus deflexus, 
2 superioribus lateralibus brevioribus; floribus versus apicem cau- 
lis ramorumque sparsis, tubo ampliato breviusculo petalisque pat- 
ulis; ovario ovato sepalis 25-30 squamiformibus triangulatis acu- 
tis in axilla fulvo-villosis stipato; sepalis tubi sub-30 orbiculato- 
subtriangularibus mucronatis, inferoribus in axilla lanigeris, supe¬ 
rioribus nudis, sepalis intimis 10-15 spathulatis obtusis carnosis 
(pallide viridibus albescentibus); petalis sub-25 obovat’o-spathu- 
latis obtusis integris crispatis coriaceo-carnosis crassis (flavescenti- 
albidis); staminibus numerosissimis, filamentis superiori tubi parti 
adnatis (inferiore nudo); stylo stamina paulo superante ; stigmate 
multifido; bacca obovata squamis sepaloideis triangularibus car¬ 
nosis minutis ad a^illam fulvo-lanatis stipata, pericarpio duriusculo 
carnoso, demum valvis 3-4 patentibus reflexisve dehiscente; se- 
minibus numerosissimis in pul pa saccharina nidulantibus oblique 
obovatis laevibus lucidis exalbuminosis; embryone cotyledonibus 
foliaceis incumbentibus haniato. 
This species ranges from north of the Gila river southwardly 
into Sonora, to within 20 miles of Guaymas on the Californian 
Gulf. It doubtless also occurs on the Peninsula of California; 
where, according to Variegas in his history, published about 100 
years ago, the fruit of a great Cactus forms an important article 
of food to the natives of the eastern coast, the harvest time of 
which was a season of great festivity. The flowers are produced 
in May and June, and the fruit ripens in July and August. Mr. 
Thurber collected the last flowers and the first ripe fruit in the 
beginning of July. He has collected abundance of seed, and 
will be pleased to communicate it to those who take an interest 
in the cultivation of Cacti. The youngest plants Mr. Thurber 
noticed were three or four feet high, with narrow furrows and long 
spines; the smallest flowering plants were about 12 feet high, 
and the tallest specimens observed appeared to reach the elevation 
of 45 or 50 feet. 
The ligneous fascicles correspond with the intervals between 
the ribs, and not with the ribs themselves; of which Dr. Parry 
has fully satisfied himself, and which indeed is the case in all 
ribbed Cacti. From between these bundles ligneous fibres radi¬ 
ate horizontally towards the ribs, and especially to the areolae. 
At the base of the stem the ribs are broad and obtuse, with 
wide and shallow intervals ; upwards the ribs are somewhat trian¬ 
gular, rounded or obtuse, with deep and acutish grooves between 
them ; towards the top of the plant the ribs are equally obtuse, 
but quite compressed, and the grooves are deep and narrow. 
The elevated areolae are 7 lines long, nearly 6 lines in diam¬ 
eter, about an inch distant from one another, sometimes-^more 
closely approximated. 
Missouri 
Botanical 
Garden 
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