Page:Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Volume 75 (1849).djvu/7

 TAB. 4417.

CEREUS LEEANUS.

Mr. Lee's Cereus.

Nat. Ord. CACTEÆ.-ICOSANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

Gen. Char. Sepala numerosissima imbricata, basi ovario adnata, in tubum elongatum concreta, exteriora breviora calycinalia, media longiora colorata, intima petaliformia. Stamina numerosissima cum tubo concreta. Stylus filiformis, apice multifidus. Bacca areolata, sepalorum reliquiis squamata aut tuberculosa. Cotyledones acuminatæ.-Frutices carnosi, subglobosi, v. elongati, stricti, articulati v. repentes, axi ligneo interne medullifero donati, angulis verticalibus, spinarum fasciculos gerentibus vel inermibus, regulariter sulcati. Anguli seu alæ nunc plurimæ, nune paucissimæ, rarius duæ tantum, et tunc rami compressoalati, inermes. Flores ampli, e spinarum fasciculis lateralibus trunci at ramorum vetustiorum, aut crenis angulorum orti. Fructus oviformes, plerumque anno sequente maturescentes, edules. Pfeiff.

CEREUS Leeanus; erectus subpedalis conico-cylindraceus, subacute 12-14-costatus, areolis approximatis pulvinato-tomentosis sub-12-spinosis, spinis v. aculeis acicularibus valde inæqualibus strictis fuscis, exterioribus 2-3 lineas longis, centrali unciali, floribus subterminalibus speciosis lateritio-sanguineis, squamis calycinis apice viridibus setosis, petalis obovato-oblongis acutis.

Presented to the Royal Gardens by Mr. Lee of the Hammersmith Nursery, who received it from France, as an unknown species, native of Mexico. If published, it would be no easy matter to recognise it from description alone. It is only by good figures, taken from perfect flowering specimens of the living plants that we can hope to make known the distinguishing feature of the individuals of this singular family. The present species is among the most beautiful, a free bloomer, and its blossoms are large and showy.

DESCR. Our plant is nearly a foot in height, about four inches broad, tapering upwards, from a nearly cylindrical base, hence somewhat conical, the summit being the narrowest part: it is furrowed throughout its length rather deeply and acutely, forming elevated, rather sharp ridges or angles, which are studded at short intervals by small, dense, cushion-like tufts of wool, bearing the cluster (about twelve in a cluster) of sharp needle-