Easily overlooked, when not in blossom, as a group of slender, fluted,
gray-green stems hidden beneath a shrub, this cactus is truly a glorious
thing when in flower. Beauty and fragrance of its blossoms have earned
it the name, in Mexico, of _reina-de-la-noche_, meaning
“queen-of-the-night.”
Buds unfold soon after sunset in late June or early July, perfuming the
desert air and attracting night-flying insects. They wilt soon after
sunrise the following morning. The large, tuberous root, which serves as
a water-storage organ, usually weighs from 5 to 15 pounds, but specimens
have been found weighing more than 80 pounds. Indians at one time dug
the tubers for food. The bulbous fruits become red when mature, and are
almost as spectacular as the flowers. This species is found from west
Texas to western Arizona and northern Mexico.
_Peniocereus greggii_ Cactus Family
[Illustration: NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS]