THE CEREUS. 
“ The night-flowering Cereus (Cactus 
grandi-florus), is one of our most splendid 
hot-house plants, and is a native of J amaica 
and some other of our West India Islands. 
Its stem is creeping, and thickly set with 
spines. The flower is white and very large, 
sometimes nearly a foot in diameter. Its pe¬ 
tals are of a pure and dazzling white ; and a 
vast number of recurved stamens, surrounding 
the style in the centre, add to its beauty. The 
fine scent of this extraordinary flower per¬ 
fumes the air to a considerable distance, but 
the most remarkable circumstance with regard 
to it, is the short time which it takes to ex¬ 
pand and the rapidity with which it decays. 
Upon large plants, eight or ten flowers will 
open on the same night, making a most mag¬ 
nificent appearance by candlelight, bloom for 
an hour or two, then begin to droop, and be¬ 
fore morning be completely dead. This plant 
does not bear fruit in this country, and must 
be nursed in a stove to enable it to produce 
flowers.” 
“ The Pink-flowered Creeping Cereus pro¬ 
duces a greater number of flowers than the 
former. They open in May, or, in warm 
seasons, yet earlier. They are of a fine pink 
