Cactus culture for amateurs: being descriptions of the various cactuses grown in this country, with full and practical instructions for their successful cultivation

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...Fig. 51.--A form with several rows of petals, which give the flowers a doubled appearance. IE. E. glauca (hoary-grey). This variety differs from the type in the absence of the dark brown hairs from the flowertube, which is also shorter than in E. Eyriesii. Probably a native of Mexico. E. oxygonus (sharp-angled).--This is very similar to E. Eyriesii. Stem globular in shape, and divided into about fourteen acute-edged ridges, upon which are tufts of brown spines, varying from Jin. to 1iin. in length. Flower Sin. long, the tube slightly curved, covered with little scales and hairs, and coloured green and red. The petals form an incurved cup, and are broad, with pointed tips; their colour a bright rose, with a lighter shade towards the centre of the flower. As in Fig. 52.--Echinopsis Pentlandi. E. Eyriesii, the flowers of this kind are borne several together from the ridges near the growing centre of the stem. It is a native of Brazil, whence it was introduced nearly half a century ago. It thrives in an intermediate house, if treated as advised for E. Eyriesii, and its flowers will develop in summer. The extraordinary size and beauty of the blossoms are sufficient to compensate for their comparatively short duration after expanding; it is also interesting to watch the gradual development of the tiny, hairy cone, which is the first sign of the flower, and which increases in length and size at a surprising rate. E. Fentlandi (Pentland's); Fig. 52.--A pretty little species, with a globose stem 3in. in diameter, divided into about a dozen rounded ridges, which are undulated or broken up into irregular tubercles, when the ridges do not run parallel with each other. Fig. 53.--Echinopsis Pentlandi Longispinus. Each tubercle is crowned with a tuft of brown, ..… (more)