dry, sunny shelf in winter. It is rare in English
collections, but frequently occurs in Continental gardens.

E. cristata (crested); Bot. Mag. 4687.--Stem globe-shaped, 1 ft. high,
slightly narrowed towards the top; ridges fifteen, 1 in. deep, sharply
angular, the edges bearing tufts of spreading, yellowish spines, over
1 in. long, slightly curved, and tipped with red. Flowers creamy-white,
springing from the ridges on the top of the stem; tube 4 in. long,
clothed with tufts of black hairs, and surmounted by a whorl of
reddish-yellow sepals, above which are two rows of broad-spreading
petals. The width of the flower is over 6 in., and the stamens are
arranged in a corona-like whorl inside the petals. This very fine Cactus
is a native of Bolivia, whence it was introduced in 1850. When in
flower, the broad, long-tubed, pale-coloured blossoms equal in beauty
those of the Night-flowering Cereus. It blossoms in July. It thrives if
kept in a warm, sunny greenhouse, but must be liberally treated in
summer, so as to induce vigorous growth, and then be subjected to
complete rest in winter in full sunlight, or it will not flower.

E. c. purpurea (purple ).--This variety differs from the type in having
deep rose-coloured flowers and a slightly longer tube. It is impossible
to find among all the species of the Cereus section a more beautiful
plant than this; the size of the flowers, their rich colour, their
developing three or four together in the month of July, being almost
exceptional, even among Cactuses. A splendid example of it was flowered
at Kew in 1846 for the first time. It thrives under the conditions
recommended for E. cristata. This variety is often made very sickly by
treating it as a tropical Cactus, and, like most of these plants, if
once it gets into a bad condition, it remains so a long time, in spite
of liberal and careful treatment. So many of the Cactuses found in cool
regions are ruined by an excess of heat in winter, and a close
atmosphere during their season of growth, that too much attention cannot
be given to the question of temperature in relation to their cultivation
in English gardens.

E. Decaisneanus (Decaisne's).--As represented in Fig. 50, this plant
appears to have a columnar stem, but this is owing to the specimen
having been formed by cutting off the upper portion of an old plant and
striking it. Naturally, the stem in this species is globular or slightly
egg-shaped, and bears about fourteen ri