. speciosissimus (most beautiful).--Although not a night-flowering
kind, nor yet a climber, yet this species resembles in habit the above
rather than the columnar-stemmed ones. It is certainly the species best
adapted for cultivation in small greenhouses or in the windows of
dwelling-houses, as it grows quickly, remains healthy under ordinary
treatment, is dwarf in habit, and flowers freely--characters which,
along with the vivid colours and large size of the blossoms, render it
of exceptional value as a garden plant. Its stems are slender, and it
may be grown satisfactorily when treated as a wall plant. For its
cultivation, the treatment advised for Phyllocactuses will be found
suitable. When well grown and flowered it surpasses in brilliancy of
colours almost every other plant known. Specimens with thirty stems each
6 ft. high, and bearing from sixty to eighty buds and flowers upon them
at one time, may be grown by anyone possessing a warm greenhouse. The
stems are three to five angled, spiny, the tufts of spines set in little
disks of whitish wool. The flowers are as large as tea saucers, with
tubes about 4 in. long, the colour being an intense crimson or violet, so
intense and bright as to dazzle the eyes when looked at in bright
sunlight. When cut and placed in water they will last three or four
days. April and May. Mexico, 1820. "Numberless varieties have been
raised from this Cereus, as it seeds freely and crosses readily with
other species. Many years ago, Mr. D. Beaton raised scores of seedlings
from crosses between this and C. flagelliformis, and has stated that he
never found a barren seedling. Much attention was given to these plants
about fifty years ago, for Sir E. Antrobus is said to have exhibited
specimens with from 200 to 300 flowers each. I have been informed that
an extremely large plant of this Cereus, producing hundreds of flowers
every season, is grown on the back wall of a vinery at the Grange,
Barnet, the residence of Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart." (L. Castle).

THE SEMI-SCANDENT SPECIES.

These are characterised by a thin, drooping or trailing stem, and,
though not strictly climbers, they may most fittingly be considered in a
group by themselves. Some botanists have made a separate genus for them,
viz., Cleistocactus, but for all practical purposes they may be grouped
under the above heading, whilst popularly they are known as the
Rat's-tail or Whipcord Cactuses. Two of them--viz., C. flagellifo