CEN 
CHE 
from the fable of the Centaur Chiron, 
who is said to have cured the wound in 
his foot, caused by the arrow of Her¬ 
cules, with one of these plants. 
CENTROCARPA (Don.) Nat. Or¬ 
der Composite. A much smaller genus, 
though equally interesting with the last, 
of the same hardy character, and suit¬ 
able for similar situations; the colour of 
the flowers is yellow. Natives of North 
America 
CEPHALOTUS (R Brown.) Nat. 
Ord. Cephalotacece. Curious little plants, 
whose leaves are terminated by small 
pitchers in which fluid accumulates. 
They should be potted in a mixture of 
rough peat and moss, covered with a 
glass to fit the pot, and kept at the cool¬ 
est part of the stove. Cuttings taken 
off and treated in the same manner emit 
roots, though rather tardily. 
CEKEU S (I)e Candolle.) Nat. 0. Cac- 
tacea. Tliis is one of the divisions of the 
genus Cactus already mentioned, and for 
culture may be referred to that article. It 
includes, among many others, the extraor¬ 
dinary C.monstrosus , or rock cactus, whose 
irregular protuberances have suggested 
the popular title by which it is known; in 
like manner C. senilis , or old-man cactus, 
is distinguished, hi consequence of being 
covered with long, white, hair-like pro¬ 
cesses, which issue from the crown of 
the plant, and descend nearly its whole 
length, having the appearance of a grey 
wig. Besides these there are the night¬ 
flowering cactus, C. grandiflorus , the 
well-known whip cactus, C flagellifor- 
mis, the handsome C. speciosissimus, the 
neat C. tenuispinus, and a host of others, 
all of them remarkable either for their 
singular forms or the vivid colours of 
their blossoms, and, considering the little 
trouble occasioned in their management, 
deserving a place in every collection, 
particularly that of the amateur, to which 
indeed they seem especially adapted. 
CEROPEGIA (Linn.) Nat. Order 
Asclepiadaceae. The majority of these 
plants are stove climbers of limited ex¬ 
tent, suitable for trellis in pots; the 
flowers are extremely curious in their 
formation, and usually of some dark 
lurid colour, varied with spots and 
blotches of a lighter shade; well-drained 
loam and peat, having stones and pieces 
of mortar or broken pots mixed with it, 
seems to suit them better than a richer 
soil; the application of water must be 
varied with the seasons; in summer they 
take a considerable quantity with evi¬ 
dent benefit, but in winter it must be 
reduced to a very little, and in the dull¬ 
est weather none at all. Eree exposure 
to the light, or even the strong rays of 
the sun, appears to be indispensable to 
their proper development. 
CHAkKEROPS (Linn.) Nat. Ord. 
Palmacene. This is a noble genus of 
Palms, but unfortunately it seldom hap¬ 
pens that they can be accommodated, 
for they attain a height of from fifteen 
to thirty feet, and a single leaf of some 
species will cover a space of ten square 
feet. A cool stove or intermediate house 
suits them best, and the plants should 
be placed into a bed of rich loamy soil 
occupying the whole floor of the house, 
so that they may not need disturbing 
again for years. The specimens in the 
Loyal Gardens at Kew are well worth a 
visit, were it to see them alone. A large 
and handsome house is being erected for 
their accommodation, as they have com¬ 
pletely outgrown then present space, 
and for several seasons have thrust their 
growing shoots completely through the 
roof; but when viewed in their new po¬ 
sition will have a most imposing appear¬ 
ance. 
CHEIRANTHUS (Linn.) Nat. Or. 
Orvxiferce. The wallflower C. Cheiri is 
known to every one, and esteemed for 
its precocity and fragrance, the varieties 
of which, both with double flowers, and 
those whose blossoms are single, are now 
becoming very numerous. The German 
florists bestow much pains on this flower, 
and then labours have been rewarded 
with some certainly odd-looking results; 
brown, red, and even purple, are now 
found among them, nor are they alto¬ 
gether without hopes of yet producing 
the same colours in a vivid strain. The 
double varieties require some protection 
through severe weather in winter, such 
as a mat, or, if scarce, a cold frame is 
sometimes awarded them; for these the 
