of Northampton, who has cultivated this and several other species from the same region in a sunny sheltered position out of doors, where, for several years, they have withstood winter’s cold with no other protection than that afforded by an over-hanging wall.  Mr. Loder says of C. Fendleri that it is the best of all Cactuses for cool treatment, as the flowers last more than a week, closing at night, and opening only in sunshine, when its rich purple colour is quite dazzling to the eye.  It also blossoms freely under glass; but the colour of the flowers is not so vivid as when they are produced in full sunshine out of doors.

C. giganteus (gigantic); Fig. 22.—­This is the most colossal of all Cactuses, in which respect it is chiefly interesting.  Its stem, when young, is very similar to that of other dwarfer species, whilst, so far as is known, its flowers have not been produced under cultivation.  It grows very slowly, a plant 6 in. high being eight or ten years old, so that, to attain its full development, a very long time indeed is necessary.  When young, the stems are globose, afterwards becoming club-shaped or cylindrical.  It flowers at the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft., but grows up to four or five times that height, when it develops lateral branches, which curve upwards, and present the appearance of immense candelabra.  The flowers are 4 in. or 5 in. long, and about the same in diameter.  There is a small specimen, about 3 ft. high, in the succulent collection at Kew.  The appearance of a number of tall specimens of this wonderful Cactus, when seen towering high above the rocks and scrub with which it is associated, is described by travellers as being both weird and grand.  Judging by the slowness of its growth, the prospect of seeing full-sized specimens of this species in English gardens is a very remote one, unless full-grown stems are imported, and this is hardly possible.  Native of Mexico and California.

[Illustration:  Fig. 22.—­Flower of cereus giganteus.]

C. Leeanus (Lee’s); Bot.  Mag. 4417.—­A dwarf plant, the stems not more than 1 ft. in height, and about 5 in. in diameter at the base, tapering gradually towards the top, so that it forms a cone; the furrows number about a dozen, and the ridges are 1/2 in. high, the angles sharp, and clothed with clusters of pale brown spines, the central one 1 in. long, the others much shorter.  The flowers are produced on the top of the stem, four or five together, and are large, handsome, brick-red in colour, the tube 2 in. long, clothed with yellowish, green-tipped scales, and little clusters of hair-like bristles.  The arrangement of the petals, and the cluster of yellow anthers in the centre, give the flowers the appearance of Camellias, if looked at from above.  Introduced from Mexico by Mr. Lee, of Hammersmith, in 1848, and flowered soon afterwards at Kew, in summer.  Being a native of the higher, more northerly regions of Mexico, this species needs only to be protected from severe frosts; it has been known to bear a little frost without injury.  For windows and greenhouses it is a very desirable plant.