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A large-flowered and very beautiful species, rivalling, in the size and fragrance of its blossoms, the gigantic night-flowering Cereus grandiflorus. It grows to a height of about 2 ft., with round-based branches, the upper portion flattened out and the margins serrated.
Some of the kinds have their floral organs so arranged as to be capable of self-fertilisation; still, it is always as well to give them some assistance. The night-flowering species must, of course, be fertilised either at night or very early in the morning.
This very fine Cactus is a native of Bolivia, whence it was introduced in 1850. When in flower, the broad, long-tubed, pale-coloured blossoms equal in beauty those of the Night-flowering Cereus. It blossoms in July.
In this hour he bloomed, like some night-flowering plant, of perfume sweet but poisonous. This was Manetho's apogee! Again his humor changed, and he became playful and frivolous. Had old Nurse in the corner been little more personable, he might have caught her round the waist, and forced her to tread a wild measure with him.
The most interesting group is that of the climbing night-flowering kinds, on account of their singular habit of expanding their flowers in the dark and of the very large size and brilliant colours of their flowers. In habit the plants of this set are trailers or climbers, their stems are either round or angled, and grow to a length of many feet, branching freely as they extend.
In the brilliant deep scarlet of its large buds, and the bright orange-scarlet of the expanded flowers, this species stands quite alone among the night-flowering, scandent-stemmed Cereuses. Its one drawback is its shy-flowering nature, as it is rarely seen in blossom even when liberally treated, and along with the other kinds which flower so freely.
She was now well versed in the brief passions that, beginning at the second or third dance of a regimental ball, would, like some night-flowering tropic blossom, arrive at full splendour by supper time, and would expire languorously, to the strains of "God save the King." Christian, though young, was, as had been said, a capable audience.
Although not a night-flowering kind, nor yet a climber, yet this species resembles in habit the above rather than the columnar-stemmed ones.
The large, creamy-white flowers of this plant are like those of the night-flowering Cereus; and, in addition to the similarity in form and size between these two, there is a further one in the time when the flowers expand, this species, along with one or two others, opening its flowers after sunset; and although they remain in good condition till late on in the day following, and sometimes even longer, we may suppose that the proper flowering time is at night.
"Good morning, most singular-looking vagrant from the Unknown," answered the monarch. "In what way can I be of service to you? "I have come about that girl," I said, nodding to where Heru lay blossoming in the hot gloom like some night-flowering bud.
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