Cactus

CACTUS. Lin. Gen. Plant. 539. Melocactus. Tourn. Append.
 

This genus was first titled Melocarduus, and also Echinomelocactus, or Hedghog Melon-thistle; but these names being compounded, Dr. Linnaeus has changed the name to Cactus, and has added to this genus, the Cereus and Opuntia.

The CHARACTERS are,
The empalement of the flower is of one leaf, tubulcus, short, and cut into six parts. The flower is composed of six petals, which spread open at the top, and rests upon the embryo; it hath six long slender stamina, which are terminated by erect summits. The oval germen, which is situated below the petals, supports a cylindrical style, crowned by a blunt stigma; afterward becomes a pyramidal fleshy fruit with one cell, filled with small angular seeds surrounded with pulp.

This genus of plants is ranged in the first section of Linnaeu's twelfth class, intitled Icosandria Monogynia. This class includes those plants whose flowers have from twelve to twenty stamina; which, with the corolla, are fastened to the inner side of the empalement.

The SPECIES are,

  1. CACTUS (Melocactus) subrotundus quatuordecem angularis. Hort. Cliff. 181. Roundish Cactus with fourteen angles. Melocactus Indiae occidentalis. C. B. P. 384. Commonly called Great Melon-thistle.
  2. CACTUS (Intortus) subrotundus quinquedecem angularis, angulis in spiram intortis, spinis erectis. Roundish Cactus or Melon-thistle, with fifteen angles spirally twisted, and erect spines. Melocactus purpureis striis in spiram intortis. Plum. Cat.
  3. CACTUS (Recurvus) subrotundus quinquedecem angularis, spinis latis recurvis creberrimis. Roundish Melon-thistle with fifteen angles, having broad recurved spines set very close.
  4. CACTUS (Mamillaris) subrotundus tectus tuberculis ovatis barbatis. Hort. Cliff. 181. Roundish Cactus closely covered with bearded tubercles. Melocactus Americana minor. Boerh. Ind. alt. 2. 84. Smaller American Melon-thistle.
  5. -
  6. CACTUS (Proliferus) proliferus subrotundus, tectus tuberculis ovatis barbaris longis albidis. Roundish prolific Cactus, with oval tubercles closely joined, having long white beards, commonly called Small Childing Melon-thistle.

These plants are natives of the West-Indies, where there are more sorts than are here enumerated, if persons of skill were to examine those islands. There have been about four of the large kinds brought to England, some of which have been crowned with a prickly brown cap, in form of one of those fur caps, which are worn by the Turks; and others, which have been destitute of these caps, although the plants were full as large as those which had them; therefore some persons have supported them to distinct species, especially since these have been many years preserved in the gardens, and no appearance of any caps as yet have been produced; but as these have been rarely propagated by seeds, it is difficult to determine if they are essentially different. Those which have these caps, produce their fruit in circles round the upper part of the cap; whereas, the smaller sorts produce their fruit from between the tubercles, round the middle of the plant; and in some figures of the larger sorts of these plants, the fruit is represented as coming out near the crown of the plant; so that if a skilful botanist was to examine these plants in the places of their growth, there would probably be found a much greater variety of them than is at present known.

These strange plants commonly grow upon the steep sides of rocks im the warmest parts of America, where they seem to be thrust out of the apertures, having little or no earth to support them; their roots shooting down into the fissures of the rock to a considerable depth, so that it is troublesome to get the plants up, especially as they are so strongly armed with thorns as to render it very dangerous to handle them; and as these plants delight in those rocky places, they seldom live long when they are transplanted into better soil by the inhabitants of those islands.

The great sorts were some years since brought over to England in much greater plenty than of late; but then the greatest part of them was destroyed, but the unskillfulness of those persons who had the care of them in the voyage; for, by giving them water, they generally caused them to rot before they were taken out of the ships; and some of those which have appeared to be found, have been so replete with moisture, as to rot soon after they have been placed in the stoves; therefore whoever proposes to bring these plants from abroad, should be very careful to take up their roots as entire as possible, and to plant them in tubs filled with stones and rubbish, mixing very little earth with it, and to plant three or four plants in each tub, in proportions to their sizes; for if they are placed close together, it will save room; and as they do not increase their growth during their passage, there need not be any room allowed them for that purpose. There should be several pretty large holes bored thro' the bottom of there tubs, to let the moisture pass off; and if these plants are planted in the tubs a month before they are put on board the ship, they will in that time have made new roots, which will be the most secure method to have them succeed; but, during their continuance in the country, they should have no water given them, and after they are put on board the ship, they must not have any moisture whatever; therefore it will a good method to cover the plants with tarpaulin, to keep of the spray of the sea in bad weather, and expose them at all times to the open air when the sea is calm. By observing these directions, the plants may be brought to England in good health, provided they are brought in summer.

Some of the large sort which have been brought to England, have been more than a yard in circumfence, and two feet and a half high, including their caps; but I have been informed by several persons who have resided in the West-Indies, that there are plants near as twice as large.

The third sort was brought into England by the late Dr. William Houstoun, who procured the plants from Mexico; but as they were long in their passage, and had received wet, they were decayed before they arrived in England; but from the remains of them which were left, they appeared to be the most singular of all species yet known. this has two orders of thorns; one of which ar strait, and set on at the joints in clusters, spreading out from the center each way like a star; and in the middle of each cluster is produced one broad flat thorn near two inches in length, which stand erect, and is recurved at the point, and is of a brownish red colour. These thorns are, by the inhabitants of Mexico, set in gold or silver, and made use of for picking their teeth, and the plant is by them called Visnaga, i.e. toothpick.

The sort with spiral ribs, as also that with white spines, I recived from Antigua, with the common sort; but whether these are only accidental varieties, arising from the same seeds, or real different species, I cannot take upon me to determine; since, in this country, they are very rarely propagated by seeds, nor could I observe, in the several years that I have had these plants under my care, there was the least disposition in either of them to produce fruit; when, at the same time, the common large sort produced plenty of fruit out of their caps every year, from the seed of which I have raise some young plants; but although some of these have grown to a considerable size, yet none of them have as yet produced caps, therefore no fruit can yet expected from them.

The fifth sort produces quantities of fruit annually; and as the seeds grow very readily, it is now very common in those gardens where there are stoves to keep them; for if the fruit is permitted to drop down upon the earth of the pots, and that is not disturbed, there will plenty plants come up without any farther trouble; and these seedling plants may be take up as soon as they are of propper size to remove, and planted six or seven of them into a small halfpenny pot, where they may stand one year; by which time they will be large enough to be each planted into a sparate pot, and afterward they will make great progress, especially if they are plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark in summer; for although this sort is much more hardy than the large kind, and may be preserved in a moderate stove, yet the plants will not make near the progress as those which are kept in a greater degree of heat. This sort will continue many years with popper care, and the plants will grow to be a foot high or more; but when they are so tall, the lower part of them is not so sightly, their green being decayed, and the spines changed to a dark dirty colour, they appear as if dead, so that the upper part of these old plants only seem to have life; whereas the plants of the middling size appear healthy from top to bottom. The flowers of this sort appear in July and August, and are succeeded by the fruit quite round the plant, which are of a fine scarlet colour, and continue fresh upon the plants through the winter, which renders them very beautiful at that season. And in the spring, when the fruit shrivels and becomes dry, the seeds will be ripe, and may then be rubbed out, and sown upon the surface of the earth in small pots, which should be plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark to bring up the plants.

The sixth sort is but little larger than the fith, growing nearly in the same form; but this produces a great number of young plants from the sides, by which it is increased. This sort produces tufts of soft white down upon the knobs, and also between them at every joint, which makes the whole plant appear as if it was covered with fine cotton. The flowers of this sort are produced from between the knobs round the sides of the plants, which are in shape and colour very much like those of the fifth sort, but larger. These flowers are not succeeded by any fruit, at least all those which I have under my care, have not produced any, although they have produced plenty of flowers for some years; but from the same places where the flowers have appeared, there have been young plants thrust out the following season. These young plants I have take off, and after laying them to dry for two or three days, I have planted them, and they have succeeded very well.

All the species of this genus are plants of a singular structure, but especially the larger kinds of them, which appear like a large fleshy green Melon, with deep ribs, set all over with strong sharp thorns; and when the plants are cut through the middle, their inside is nothing but a soft, green, fleshy substance, very full of moisture. And I have been assured by persons of credit, who have lived in the West-Indies, that in times of great drought, the cattle repair to the barren rocks, which are covered with these plants, and after having ripped up the larger plants with their horns, so as to tear off the outside skin with the thorns, they have greedily devoured all the fleshy moist parts of the plants, which has afforded them both meat and drink; but how any animal should ever attack plants which are so well defended by strong thorns, which are as hard and stiff as whalebone, or any other bony substance, is difficult to conceive; nor could any thing but distress for moisture ever have tempted them to venture amongst these troublesome plants to search for relief, since they must encounter with many difficulties, before they could find a method of dislodging the thorns.

The fruit of all the sorts of Melon-thistles, are frequently eaten by the inhabitants of the West-Indies; there is scarce any difference in the fruits of all the kinds I have yet seen, either in size, shape, colour, or taste. They are about three quaters of an inch in length, of a taper form, drawing to a point at the bottom toward the plant, but blunt at the top, where the empalement of the flower was situated. The taste is an agreeable acid, which, in a hot country, must render the fruit more grateful.

All the sorts of these plants require a very good stove to preserve them through the winter in England, nor should they be exposed to the open air in summer; for althought they may continue fair to outward appearance, when they have been some time exposed abroad, yet they will imbibe moisture, which will cause them to rot soon after they removed into stove. And this is frequently the case of those plants which are brought from abroad, which have a fair healthy appearance many times at their first arrival, but soon after decay, and this will happen very suddenly. Scarce any appearance of disorder will be seen, till the whole plant is killed; which, in a few hours time, has often been the fate of those plants, when they have been placed in the stove.

If these plants are plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark in summer, it will greatly forward them in their growth; but when this is practised, there should be scarce any water given to the plants, for the moisture which they will imbibe frome the fermentation of the tan, will be suficcient for them, and more would cause them to rot. The best method to preserve all the large kinds is, in winter, to place the pots, either upon the top of the flues, or, at least, very near them, that they may have the the warmest place of the stove; and during that season, never to give them any water; but when the season comes for leaving out the fire in the stove, to remove them into a bed of tanners bark, which will soon set them in a growing state, and recover their verdure. The soil in which these should be planted, must be of a sandy nature, and if mixed with some dry lime rubbish, it will be still better. In the bottom of the pots should be placed some stones, in order to drain off any moisture which may be in the earth; for as these plants naturally grow upon the dry burning rocks which have no earth, and, were is not for these plants, would be absolutly barren, we must imitate their natural soil as near as possible, making some allowance for the difference of climates.

The great sorts may be propagated by seed, which must be sown and managed as hath been directed for the smaller sort; but as the plants which are raised from seeds in England, will be some years in arriving to any considerable size, it will be much the best way to procure some plants from the West-Indies; and if the plants arrive here in any of the summer months, so as that there may be time for them to get new root before the cold comes on in autumn, the plants will more certainly succeed. When the plants come over, it will be proper to take them out of the earth as soon as possible, and lay in the stove upon the shelves, to dry for a fortnight or three weeks; and when they are planted, they should be plunged into a good warm bed of tanners bark, to promote their making new roots. In this bed they may remain till the beginning of October, when they must be removed into the stove, and treated in the manner before directed.

The two small sorts propagate so fast in England, as to render it unnececessary to send for plants of these kinds from abroad; for whoever hath a mind to be plentifully stocked with them, may be soon supplied with the fifth sort from seeds, and the sixth from the young plants which are thrust out from the side of the old.