Title: The American garden
Identifier: americangarden111890broo (find matches)
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors:
Subjects: Horticulture; Gardening
Publisher: Brooklyn, N. Y. : (s. n. )
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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NATIVE FLORIDA CACTUSES. 533 is night-blooming, with very large handsome white flow- ers. The triangular stems are one or two inches in diameter and delight in climbing on walls and fences. Another species, which, like Opitiitia polyattt/ia, is peculiar to Key West and Lower Metacombe, is Cereus monoclonos. This species has an arborescent stem attain- ing a height of twenty feet--almost a miniature Ct-reus giganteits—a "baby-giant." A full-grown branched specimen is perhaps the most conspicuous and unique " to penetrate thick leather. It is one of the most for- midable obstacles to clearing new land, and is only conquered by the machele, and a good hot fire. A thicket of this cactus, supplemented by quantities of Opuntia Tuna, the serrulate leaves of Agave rigida, the spines of its variety sisalana, with a "fair sprinkling" of "Spanish Bayonets" (Yucca aloifoHa), and a half- bushel of brindle mosquitoes turned loose in their midst, constitutes a most effective protection to the early water-
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FiG. 5. A Meiilev of C.\ctu^ Monstro.-jITies. (See page 530). of all the Florida cactuses. The flowers are freely pro- duced, but are small compared to those of many species of cereus. The diameter of the stem ranges from two to eight inches. The most plentiful, and at the same time the most "murderous" species of cereus found in Florida is Cereus vayiabilis. This is only found below the Caloosa- hatchie river, but it is there found on all the high land in sufficient quantities to "strike terror into the heart " of the adventurous " Conch " (Bahamian) who essays to start a tomato patch or a pine-apple farm. The stems are about the size of those of C. /riaiigii/aj-is, and are three, four, five, or six-sided, a peculiarity indicated by the name. They are of upright, scrambling, creeping, or any other style of growth ; and are armed with most formidable spines an inch or more long, and so strong as melon patches of far South Florida. The vigorous ac tivity of the " skeeters " is well supplemented by the passive " cussedness" of this mass of various spines, thorns and prickles ; and even the most hardened Afri- can lover of the juicy cucurbit ma_\- well pause in fear of the surroundings, if not in admiration of the nerve which could evolve a melon field out of this truly American jungle. It is in cactuses, as in other things that grow, Florida demonstrates its wonderful adaptability and wide range. With the treasures of the tropics and the sturdy fruits of the north within our reach, ought we not be proud of our "land of flowers ?" If only the occasional hard freeze was not the serpent in our Eden, how happy we would be ! Florida. P. W. Reasoner.

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