The Fantastic Clan: The Cactus Family

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 book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in magazine or newspaper.
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 )
Studies of that unique and fascinating growth, the Cactus plant, treating of all the most important groups of Cacti known, with scientific accuracy, and depicting the charm of the desert land, its magic spell and wondrous lure, in the great Cactus area of the world, 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
In this book we are going to introduce something new and interesting to many, the weird cactus plant life of the Southwestern desert—strange and marvelous growths which we call the Fantastic Clan; and to increase the reality and charm of the subject we will take an imaginary trip into the domain of the flowers of the desert. We shall explain here how to come to know them, and how to grow them in gardens; and we hope that, after reading, you will desire to have a cactus garden of your own, for the desert cacti are so different and so beautiful, with their symmetry of filigree and lacework, their fantastic shapes and marvelous colorings, and in many cases with a perfection of design that seems to have just come from the draughting board. We will not attempt to picture all the wondrous beauty of the Night Blooming Cereus, nor to tell how dainty the Arizona Rainbow and the California Pincushion really are. We will try, however, to treat in large measure about them, and about all the most important groups of cacti known to man, here in Mexico and our own Southwest, the great cactus area of the earth. We will show where they live and how they live, and in what manner they grow; and when you actually see them, in traveling across the Great American Desert, you will appreciate the wondrous beauty of desert creations and the flashes of brilliant color, gorgeous beyond description. No artist can paint nor pen describe the weird Fantastic Clan, as they are glimpsed peering out from under the rocks or gathered in clusters and patches surrounded with their dead-looking, drab-colored neighbors; or rearing their stately heads far above the ordinary walks of life in columnar pillars of towering strength. There is a fascination away out there on the desert; nevertheless, unlike the strange weird members of the cactus clan, we come not to stay, but only to enjoy the charm of the desert, to study and learn, and then to depart on our way.