US MELO

eophrastus to a spiny plant; the species are melon-for

ush, and 1 ft. or more in length, is developed before the whole plant succumbs to old age. This character belongs more particularly to M. communis, the commonest species, and the one best known in English gardens. Additional interest attaches to this species, from the fact of its having been the first Cactus introduced into Europe, for we are informed that in the year 1581 living plants of the Melon Cactus were known in London. Fifty years later, Gerard, the Adam of English gardening, wrote: "Who can but marvel at the care and singular workmanship shown in this Thistle, the Melocarduus echinatus, or Hedgehog Thistle? It gr

ging from 1 ft. to 3 ft. in height, the ridges straight, and, as a rule, large; whilst all have stiff stout spines in clusters about 1 in. apart. The small flowers are succeeded by bright red, cherr

make any perceptible difference; but, bearing in mind that the Turk's-Cap Cactus is found in great abundance within the reach of sea spray, in some of the West Indian Islands, there seems much reason in M. de Smet's treatment. The same gentleman informed us that he had a specimen of this Cactus bearing no less than thirteen heads. There is, at the time of writing, a specimen at Kew bearing four fine heads. Large imported plants are very rarely, established; and even when established, they do not thrive long, owing to the fact that, after the cap has commenced to form, no further stem-growth is made. Young plants grow very slowly, a plant 3 ft. across taking, according to Sir W. Hooker, from 200 to 300 years to reach that size. It has been stated that grafting is a good plan to adopt for the Melocactus, Mr. F. T. Palmer, in "Culture des Cactées", recomme

ined and the bad portions cut away; exposure to the air for a few days will generally cause these pared places to callus over. At all times, even

n-headed plant mentioned above was the result of the removal of the top of a stem which had developed these lateral growths, and thus formed a family of red-capped stems; this had, however, taken place before the plant was removed from its native home. As the cap is the most rema

EC

great number of bristle-like red spines are developed, the whole being not unlike a bottle-brush. About the top of this brush-like growth the flowers are produced. These are small, red, fleshy, and tube-shaped, the calyx and corolla forming a regular flower, as in a Hyacinth. They are borne at various times in the year, as long as the cap is growing; afterwards the latter falls off; and the stem rots. We have a cap that

MELOCACTU

inder-like cap of the Turk's-Cap species, this one has a short, broad tuft of white wool and red spines, like a skull-cap. The flowers are small, and soon wither, but remain attached to the oblong berries, which stand erect in a dense cluster in the centre of the

is oval, dark green, with fourteen well-defined ribs, as regular as if they had been carved with a knife. The spine-tufts are small; spines short, black-brown, about nine in each tuft, one of which is

MELOCACTU

in English gardens, although various other kinds, named M. Lehmanni, M