Cereus

CEREUS. Par. Bat. 122. Boerh. Ind. alt. 1. 292. Juss. Act. R. Par. 1716. Cactus. Lin. Gen. Plant. 539. The Torch Thistle.
 

The CHARACTERS are,
It hath an oblong scaly empalement, which is covered with spines, and sits upon the germen. The flower is composed of a great number of narrow pointed petals, which spread open like the sun's rays. It hath a great number of declining stamina, which are inserted to the base of the petals, and are terminated by oblong summits. The germen, which is situated under the empalement, supports a long cylindrical style, crowned with a multifid stigma, in form of a head. The germen afterward becomes an oblong succulent fruit, with a prickly skin, full of small seeds inclosed in the pulp.

Dr. Linnaeus has jointed the plans of this genus, and also those of Opuntia to the Cactus, making them only species of the same genus; but as the flowers of these plants differ greatly in their form from those of the Cactus, they should be separated; an by preserving the title to this genus, by which it has been long known, it will prevent confusion; and by increasing the number of genera, the specific differences may be better ascertained. Linnaeus places the genus of Cactus in his twelfth class, intitled Icosandria, in which he includes those plants, whose flowers have from nineteen to thirty stamina, which are fastened to the petals.

The SPECIES are,

  1. CEREUS (Hexagonus) erectis, sexangularis, longus, angulis distantibus. Upright long Cereus with six angles, which are far distant. Cereus erectus altissimis Surinamensis. Par. Bat. 116. Tallest upright Torch Thistle of Surinam.
  2. CEREUS (Tetragonus) erectis quadrangularis, angulis compressis. Upright Cereus with four compressed angles. Cereus erectus quadrangularis, costis alarum instar assurgentibus. Boerh. Ind. alt. 293. Four-cornered upright Torch Thistle.
  3. CEREUS (Lanuginosus) erectus octangularis, angulis obtusis, superne inermibus. Upright Cereus with eight obtuse angles, having no spines on the upper part. Cereus erectus, fructu rubro non spinoso. Par. Bat. 114. Upright Torch Thistle with a red fruit, having no spines.
  4. CEREUS (Peruvianus) erectus octangularis, angulis obtusis, spinis robustioribus patulis. Upright Cereus with eight angles which are obtuse, and strong spreading spines. Cereus erectus maximus fructu spinoso rubro. Dadus. Par. Bat. 113. Greatest upright Torch Thistle with a red prickly fruit.
  5. CEREUS (Repandus) erectus novemangularis, obsoletis angulis, spinis lanâ brevioribus. Upright Cereus with nine angles, and spines shorter than the down. Cereus Curassavicus, erectus, maximus, fructu rubro non spinoso, lanugine flavescente. Par. Bat. 115. Greatest upright Torch Thistle with a red fruit, having no spines and a yellowish down.
  6. CEREUS (Heptagonus) erectus octangularis, spinis lanâ longioribus. Upright Cereus with seven or eight angles, and spines longer than the down. Cereus erectus crassissimis, maxime angulosus, spinis albis pluribus longissimis, lanugine flavâ. Boerh. Ind. alt. 293. Upright thickest Torch Thistle, having many angles, several very long white spines, and a yellow down.
  7. CEREUS (Royeni) erectus novemangularis, spinis lanâ aequalibus. Upright Torch Thistle with nine angles and spines of equal length with the down. Cereus erectus gracilis, spinosissimis, spinis flavis, polygonus, lanugine albâ pallescente. Boerh. Ind. alt. 293. Upright slender Torch Thistle, very full of yellowish spines, many angles, and a pale white down.
  8. CEREUS (Gracilis) erectus novemangularis, spinis brevibus, angulis obtusis. Slender upright Torch Thistle having nine obtuse angles, and short spines. Cereus altissimus, gracilior, fructu extus luteo intus niveo, seminibus nigris pleno. Tallest slender Torch Thistle with a fruit yellow without, white within, and full of black seeds.
  9. CEREUS (Triangularis) repens triangularis, fructu maximo rotundo, rubro, esculento. Creeping triangular Torch Thistle, with very large, round, red, eatable fruit. Cereus scandens minor trigonus articulatis fructu suavissimo. Par. Bat. Prod. 118. Lesser, creeping, three-cornerd, jointed Torch Thistle, with a very sweet fruit, commonly called in the West-Indies, the true prickly Pear, and by the Spaniards Pithatiaya.
  10. CEREUS (Compressis) repens triangularis, angulis compressis. Creeping triangular Torch Thistle, with compressed angles. Ficoides Americanum, s. Cereus erectus, cristatus, foliis triangularibus profunde canaliculatis. Pluk. Phyt. tab. 29. f. 3. Crested American Torch Thistle, with three angles deeply channelled.
  11. CEREUS (Grandiflorus) repens subquinquangularibus. Creeping Torch Thistle with five angles. Cereus scandens minor polygonus articulatis. Par. Bat. 120. Lesser jointed climbing Torch Thistle with many angles.
  12. CEREUS (Flagelliformis) repens decemanguaris. Creeping Cereus with ten angles. Cereus minor scandens. polygonus, spinosissimis, flore purpureo. Ed. Prior. Lesser climbing Torch Thistle, with many spinous angles and a purple flower.

The first sort has been the most common in the English gardens. This grows naturally in Surinam, from whence it was brought to the gardens in Holland, where it produced flowers in the year 1681, and from the Dutch gardens, most parts of Europe have been supplied with this plant.

This rises with an upright stalk, having six large angles, which are far asunder, armed with sharp spines, which come out in clusters at certain distances, arising from a point, but spread open every way like a star, the outer substance of the plant is soft, herbaceous, and full of juice, but in the center there is a strong fibrous circle running the whole length, which secures the stem from being broke by winds. These will rise to the height of thirty or forty feet, provided their tops are not injured, if they have room to grow; but some of them have grown too tall to be kept in the stoves, so have either been cut off, or the plants laid down at length in winter; but whenever the stems are cut, or otherwise injured, they put out one, two, or sometimes three shoots, from the angles, immediately under the wounded part, and frequently one or two lower down. These shoots, if they are not cut off, form so many distinct stems, and grow upright; but these seldom are so large as the principal stem, especially if more than one is left on the same plant. The flowers come out frome the angles on the side of the stem; these have a thick, fleshy, scaly foot-stalk, round, channelled, and hairy, supporting a swelling germen, upon the top of which sits the scaly prickly empalement, closely surrunding the petals of the flowers, till a little time before they expand, which in most of the sorts is in the evening, and their duration is very short, for before the next morning they wither and decay. The flower of this sort is composed of many concave petals, which, when fully expanded, are as large as those of the Hollyhock; the inner petals are white, and crenated at their extremity. The empalement is green, with some purple stripes; the middle of the flower is occupied by a great number of stamina, which decline, and rise at their extremeities, having roundish summits. The flowers of this kind are never succeded by fruit in this country, nor do the plants often produce their flowers here; but when they do, there are generally several on the same plant. I have some years had more than a dozen upon a single plant, which all flowered within a few days of each other. The usual time of its flowering is July.

This sort is not so tender as the others, so may be preserved in a warm green-house, without any artificial heat; but the plants should have no water given them in winter, when they are thus situated; for unless they are placed in a stove, when the moisture is soon evaporated, the wet will occasion them to rot.

These plants naturally grow upon very dry rocky places, where their roots are confined, so they must not be planted in large pots, nor should they be planted in rich soil; the best compost for them is on third light earth from a common, a third of sea sand, and the other part sifted lime-rubbish; if these are well mixed together, and often turned over before the plants are put into it, they will thrieve the better. The farther directions for their managemant, will be hereafter exhibited.

The second sort rises with an upright stem like the first, but it hath only four angles, which are compressed, and stand far asunder This is very subject to put out many shoots from the sides, which stop its upright growth, so that the plants rarely rise more than four or five feet high. This hath not flowerd in England, so far as I have been able to learn. The third, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth sorts grow naturally in the British islands of America, from whence I received them in the year 1728. These have the same form as the first, but differ in the size of their stems, the number of angles, and the length of their spines, as is before expressed in their titles; but, except the eighth sort, not any of them have flowered in England as yet, though there are many of the plants which are more than twelve or fourteen feet high: the eighth sort hath the smallest stem of any of the upright sorts which I have yet seen; this hath generally nine obtuse angles, which are armed with short spines, placed at farther distances than those of the other sorts, nor are the channels between the angles near so deep. The flower of this are produced from the angels, in the same manner as the first, but they are smaller, and the empalement is of a light green, without any mixture of colour. The fruit is about the size and shape of a middling Bergamot Pear, having many soft spines on the skin; the outside is a pale yellow, the inside very white, full of pulp, having a great number of small black seeds lodged in it. This sort frequently flowers in July, and in warm seasons will perfect its fruit, which hath very little flavor in this country.

These sorts are more impatient of cold than the first, so require a stove to preserve them in winter; nor should they be exposed abroad in summer, but kept constantly in the house, giving them a large share of air in warm weather.

The twelfth sort grows naturally in Peru, from whence it was sent to the royal garden at Paris; and in the year 1734, I was favoured with some cuttings of it by Dr. Bernard de Jussieu, demonstrator of the plants in that garden. These succeeded in the Chelsea garden, and have since been communicated to most of the curious gardens in England. This is not so tender as the other sorts, so may be preserved in a good green-house, or placed under a hot-bed frame in winter, and in summer should be exposed to the open air, which will prevent the shoots from drawing weak, and thereby a greater number of flowers will be produced; but during the time they remain in the open air, they should have little water and if the season should prove wet, the plants should be screend from it, otherwise it will cause them to rot the following winter. This sort produces its flowers in May, and sometimes earlier, when the season is warm.

The ninth sort is, by the inhabitants of Barbados, trained up against their houses for the sake of its fruit, which is about the bigness of a Bergamot Pear, and of a most delicious flavor. This, and also the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth sorts, are tender, so require a warm stove to preserve them. These should be placed against the walls of the stove, into which they will insinuate their roots, and extend themselves to a great length; and with a little help, in fastening them to the wall in a few places, may be led up about the ceiling of the house, where they will appear very handsome. And the eleventh sort, when arrived to a sufficient strength, will produce many exceeding large, beautiful, sweet-scented flowers; but they are (like most of the flowers of these kinds) of very short duration, scarcely continuing full blown six hours; nor do the same flowers ever open again, when once closed: they begin to open in the evening between seven an eight of the clock, are fully blown by eleven, and by three or for the next morning fade, and hang down quite decayed; but, during their continuance, there is scarce any flower of greater beaty, or that makes a more magnificent appearance; for the calyx of the flower, when open, is near a foot diameter; the inside of which, being of a splendid yellow colour, appears like the rays of a bright star, the outside of a dark brown; and the petals of the flowers being of a pure white, adds to the lustre; and the vast number of recurved stamina, surrounding the style in the center of the flower, make a fine appearance; and add to this the fine scent of the flower, which perfumes the air to considerable distance: there is scarce any plant which deserves a place in the hot-house so much as this, especially as it is to be trained against the wall, where it will not take up room. The usual season of its flowering is in July, and when the plants are large, they will produce a great number of flowers, so that there will be a succession of them for several nights, and many of them will open the same night. I have frequently had six, eight, or ten flowers open at the same time upon one plant, which have made a most magnificent appearence by candle-light, but none of them have been succeded by any appearance of fruit.

The tenth sort produces a flower little inferior to the former, as I have been informed by persons who have seen them; but I never had the good fortune to have any of these plants which have been under my care flower; nor have I heard of more than two gardens where they have as yet flowered in England; the first of them was many years since in the royal gardens at Hapton Court, when there was a curious collection of exotic plants kept in good order in those gardens, which have since been greatly neglected; the other was produced in the gardens of the right honourable the Marquis of Rockingham, at Wentworth-Hall, in Yorkshire. These are the only gardens in this country where I have heard of this sort having produced flowers; although there are many of these plants in several gardens, which are of a considerable age, and extend their branches to a very great distance.

The ninth sort has never produced any flowers as yet in England, nor have we any good figure of the flower in any of the botanic books; but I have been informed by some curious persons who have resided in Amerika, that the flowers are not near so beautiful as those of the tenth and eleventh, but the fruit is greatly esteemed by all the inhabitants.

The twelfth sort produces a greater number of flowers than either of the others; these are of a fine Pink colour, both within and without; the petals are not so numerous, and the tube of the flower is longer than those of the other species; and, contrary to all the other sorts, keep open three or four days, provided the weather is not too hot, or the place where they stand kept to warm. During the continuance of these flowers, they make a fine appearance. This sort has very slender trailing branches, which require to be supported; but these do not extend so far as those of the other sort, nor are their branches jointed as those are, so they cannot be trained so far against the wall of the house; but as it produces such beautiful flowers, and in so great plenty, it may be placed among the first class of exotic plants. This plant has produced fruit in the garden at Chelsea, but it hath not as yet ripened.

These plants are all propagated by cuttings, so that if you intend to increase the number of them, you must cut off the stems of the upright sorts at what length you please; these should be laid in a dry place to heal the part cut, at least a fortnight or three weeks before they are planted; but if they lie a month it is much the better, and they will be in less danger of rotting, especially those sorts which are the most succulent.

These cuttings should be planted in pots filled with the mixture of earth before directed, laying some stones in the bottom of the pots to drain off the moisture; then place the pots into a gentle hot-bed of tanners bark, to facilitate their rooting, giving them once a week a gentle watering.

The best for this work is in June, or the beginning of July that they may have time to root before winter; towards the middle of August you must begin to give them air by degrees, to harden them against winter, but they should not be wholly exposed to the open air or sun; at the end of September they must be removed into the stove, or green-house, where they are to abide the winter, during which season you must be verry careful not to let them have much water; and always observe to place the young plants, for the first winter, in a little warmer situation than the older plants, as being somewhat tenderer.

These plants should always have a dry situation in winter, for as they imbibe the greatest part of their nourishment from the circumambient air, so if this be too replete with moist particles, it will occasion their rotting; therefore they should not be exposed abroad, not even in the midst of summer, unless they are under shelter; for great rains, which often happen at that season, are very injurious to them; the first eight sorts should be therefore placed so as to enjoy a free air in the summer, but, at the same time, screened from rains and great dews; it will therefore be much the better method to set them in an open glass stove, where the windows may be set open in good weather, and shut in cold or wet. The other four sorts must not be exposed too much to the open air, even in the hottest season, especially if you design to have them flower; and in winter they should be kept warm, and have no water given them.

When you have once cut off the tops of any of these plants, in order to increase them, the lower parts will put forth fresh shoots from their angles, which, when grown to be eight or nine inches long, may also be taken off to make fresh plants; and, by this means, the old plant will continually afford a supply, so that you never need cut off above one plant of a sort, which you should preserve for a breeder.

These plants being succulent, they will bear to be a long time out of the ground; therefore whoever hath a mind to get any of them from the West Indies, need give no other instructions to their friends, but to cut them off, and let them lie two or three days to dry; then put them up in a box with dry hay, or straw, to keep them from wounding each other with their spines, and if they are two or three months on their passage, they will keep very well, provided no wet get to them.