BOOKS BY
FRANCES BONKER
AND
JOHN JAMES THORNBER
- THE SAGE OF THE DESERT
- DESERT FLOWERS
- THE FANTASTIC CLAN
Copyright, 1932,
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
All rights reserved—no part of this bookmay be reproduced in any form withoutpermission in writing from the publisher,except by a reviewer who wishes to quotebrief passages in connection with a reviewwritten for inclusion in magazine ornewspaper.
Set up and electrotyped.
Published February, 1932
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
NORWOOD PRESS LINOTYPE, INC.
NORWOOD, MASS., U.S.A.
To the Memory of My Father
JAMES THORNBER
A Seeker After the Odd and
the Beautiful in Nature
J. J. T.
To My Aunt
LIDA PLANT TRUMBULL
A Collector of Rare and Unique Specimens
of the Weird Fantastic Clan
F. B.
MEXICAN NIGHT BLOOMING CEREUS; REINA DE NOCHE; SERPENT CACTUS (Cereus serpentinus)
THE FANTASTIC CLAN. THE CACTUS FAMILY.
Studies of that unique andfascinating growth, the Cactus plant, treatingof all the most important groups of Cactiknown, with scientific accuracy, and depictingthe charm of the desert land, its magic spell andwondrous lure, in the great Cactus area of theworld, the American desert of the Southwest.
By JOHN JAMES THORNBER, A.M.,
Professor of Botany, University of Arizona
and FRANCES BONKER.
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK MDCCCCXXXII
PREFACE
In this book we are going to introduce something newand interesting to many, the weird cactus plant life of theSouthwestern desert—strange and marvelous growths whichwe call the Fantastic Clan; and to increase the reality andcharm of the subject we will take an imaginary trip into thedomain of the flowers of the desert. We shall explain herehow to come to know them, and how to grow them in gardens;and we hope that, after reading, you will desire to havea cactus garden of your own, for the desert cacti are so differentand so beautiful, with their symmetry of filigree andlacework, their fantastic shapes and marvelous colorings,and in many cases with a perfection of design that seems tohave just come from the draughting board. We will notattempt to picture all the wondrous beauty of the NightBlooming Cereus, nor to tell how dainty the Arizona Rainbowand the California Pincushion really are. We will try,however, to tr