oduced on the side, within a few inches of the top of the
stem; they are composed of a scaly tube, 4 in. long, a circular row of
spreading, incurved, pale brown sepals, and two rows of broad,
overlapping, snow-white petals; stamens white, with yellow anthers;
stigma yellow. The flowers, developed in summer, are very beautiful,
but, unfortunately, each lasts only a few hours. A native of the West
Indies, and an old introduction to English gardens (1720), but rare in
cultivation now. It requires the treatment of a stove all the year
round.

[Illustration: FIG. 28.--CEREUS REPANDUS.]

C. Royeni (Royen's); Bot. Mag. 3125.--This plant is not one of the
handsomest as regards flowers; but its stems are ornamental, and the
form of the flowers is such as would please those who admire the
curious. The stem is erect, several feet high, 2 in. in diameter, with
about ten acute ridges, along which are little tufts of white wool about
the base of the clustering spines, which are dark brown and 1 in. long.
The flower-tube is 2 in. long, thick, spineless, scaly, the scales
becoming large near the top of the flower, where they form a cup-like
whorl, enclosing the small rose-coloured petals, the stamens being
white. Introduced from New Grenada, in 1832. It flowers in spring and
summer. It should be grown in a stove.

C. variabilis (variable); Bot. Mag. 4084, under the name of C. pitajaya.
--A tall-growing plant, rather straggling in habit, branching freely,
the stems usually four-winged, but sometimes with three, five, or more,
constricted at intervals, as in Phyllocactus, the wings spiny along the
edges; spines 1 in. long. Flowers on the sides of the stems, rather low
down, long-tubed; large, showy; tube 6 in. long, smooth, fleshy, with a
few scales near the top, and a whorl of greenish, strap-shaped, pointed
sepals, the petals spreading, with toothed margins and a long acute
point, white or cream-coloured; anthers yellow. A native of various
parts of South America and the West Indies, but always close to the sea.
It flowers in July; the flowers, which open generally in the evening,
remain expanded all night, and close before noon the day following. This
species requires tropical or warm house treatment. There are some old
plants of it in the Kew collection, where it flowers annually. Except
for large houses, this species is not recommended for general
cultivation, as it blossoms only after attaining a good size, and the
stems, when o