

LOS ANGELES 

Epi X Hylocereus, the X meaning crossed by, 
or hybridized with. These names would all be 
very technical and enlightening to the true 
botanist, but would have little or no meaning 
for the amateur who is interested primarily in 
the flower beauty. Since the Epiphyllums have 
crossed with so many different species and 
genera, this technical type of naming might lead 
to considerable confusion, due to the various 
names which would need to be established for 
each group of plants, which to the amateur and 
others would mostly all seem alike. It seems 
that no matter what the Epiphyllum cross may 
be, the Epiphyllum blood is the stronger of the 
two, so that the new hybrids will tend to favor 
their Epiphyllum parents in both bloom and 
plant growth with but slight leaning towards 
the other parent, whatever it may be. Even in 
the first generation of hybrids, so-called experts 
are not always able to tell from looks alone, 
just what the parents might be, and very often, 
the earlier hybrids were formed with no records 
kept as to their parentage, so that there would 
be scores of lovely horticultural varieties which 
could not be identified or placed under special- 
ized name groups. 
Further confusion is added by the fact that 
these individual hybrid strains are not kept 
pure, but are in turn cross-bred with other 
genera and other hybrids and soon their parent- 
age is completely lost and no one particular 
name originally given to them, would still apply 
anway, except perhaps the one name Epiphy]- 
lum Hybrid, which would always be true to 
some extent, and would avoid the ultimate con- 
fusion caused by giving each type of hybrid the 
specific name developed from its parentage. 
Since it is not necessary for a hybrid to have 
a specific botanical name, we have yet another 
recourse. It does seem that a Common Name 
applied to such a varied group of plants would 
be a much simpler solution to this problem. 
It seems that the only things that the off- 
spring of these diversified parents, have in 
common are the facts that they are all cacti and 
mostly epiphytic and sub-tropical in habit. We 
cannot merely call them “Cactus.” We need a 
name to show WHAT cactus they are. 
There has already been established such a 
common name, a streamlined name with plenty 
of appeal, in use here in America for many 
years and now recognized not only in the United 
States, but commonly used in England, Aus- 
tralia, Canada, Mexico and other English speak- 
ing countries. This name is “ORCHID 
CACTUS” . . . certainly a most fitting name 
for these varied hybrids with the epiphytic 
habits and tendencies of their parents, for these 
lovely flowers are truly the orchids of the entire 
cactus family and it does not seem that any other 
name could be more descriptive of these semi- 
tropical blooms, or more fitting . . . a name 
with a true “Sales Appeal,” both suggestive and 
intriguing, as irresistable as the flowers them- 
selves. ‘‘Orchid Cactus” is a name to be re- 
membered without confusion, a name as simple 
and as beautiful as the flowers which bear it. 
BROMELIADS 
In the tropics, there are found many varieties 
and types of plants, growing under such similar 
circumstances as to recommend them for identi- 
cal culture in our American gardens. Orchids, 
Epiphyllums, Rhipsalis and the epiphytic Bro- 
meliads will be found luxuriently growing to- 
gether in their native aerial gardens, often all 
on the branches of the same tree. Orchids are 
the most tender of the group and generally will 
need special treatment. Rhipsalis enjoy the same 
care as do the Epiphyllums. The Bromeliads, 
however, are the ““Toughies” of the group. They 
are the most adaptable and often great masses 
of them will live, in the wild, perched high in 
the branches of a dead tree where there is no 
foliage left to protect them. We have seen 
some of them happily clinging to the cracks of 
a telephone pole with no visible source of food 
or water. They make themselves perfectly at 
home, either in the air or on the ground. 
Due to their adaptability, to the unusualness 
of their plant growth, and to the sheer beauty 
and long lasting qualities of their flowers, this 
group of plants is becoming increasingly popu- 
lar. They are well suited to pot culture for 
either the house or patio. Their flowers are like 
nothing else on earth! Their coloring reminds 
one of the “Bird of Paradise’ blossom. The 
long, graceful flower stem is covered with large 
scale-like bracts in gay colors, ranging from pink 
and salmon to vivid red. The actual flowers 
generally hang down in a shower from this 
sheath of bright bracts and they are always in 
contrasting colors. Some are chartreuse-green 
or bright green, some deep midnight blue or 
purple. Still others are in stripes of green and 
blue or one color tipped with another. The 
brilliance of their coloration is almost unbe- 
lievable. They flower irregularly and some one 
variety is in bloom almost every week of the 
year. 
Their culture is simple for they like a light, 
loose soil and seem to do best when planted in 
pots which seem too small for them. They 
