Close-up of a specimen of a night-blooming cereus (Cereus greggii), ca.1920 Photograph of a close-up of a specimen of a night-blooming cereus (Cereus greggii), ca.1920. Pictured against a dark background, the bloom hangs in from the top left corner of the image.; "One of the strangest plants of the desert, the Night-blooming Cereus is a member of the Cactus Family that resembles nothing more than a dead bush most of the year. It is rarely seen in the wild because of its inconspicuousness. But for one midsummer's night each year, its exquisitely scented flower opens as night falls, then closes forever with the first rays of the morning sun. The Night-blooming Cereus has sparse, angular, lead-gray, twiggy stems about 1/2 inch in diameter. Extremely small spines grow along the 4 to 6 ribs of these woody stems, which can easily break. It can be erect or sprawling, reaching a length of up to 8 feet, but is usually half that length. The Night Blooming Cereus has a tuberous, turnip-like root usually weighing 5 to 15 pounds (but in some specimens weighing over 100 pounds), which Native Americans used as a food source. A close Baja relation (Peniocereus. johnstonii), called Saramatraca, Pitayita, or Matraca is locally popular for its edible tuber, which is said to account for the plant's scarcity there. Night-blooming Cereus is popular in rock gardens and can be grown from stem cuttings. After the cut end is allowed to heal for several weeks, it is planted in dry sand. Like all cactus, Night-blooming Cereus may be protected in certain desert areas, and permits may be required to collect them." -- unknown author. Call number: CHS-5503 Filename: CHS-5503 Coverage date: circa 1920 Part of collection: California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960 Format: glass plate negatives Type: images Part of subcollection: Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, 1860-1960 Repository name: USC Libraries Special Collections Accession number: 5503 Microfiche number: 1-77-65 Archival file: chs_Volume99/CHS-5503.tiff Repository address: Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 Geographic subject (country): USA Format (aacr2): 2 photographs : glass photonegative, photoprint, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. Rights: Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California Project: USC Repository email: specol@usc.edu Contributing entity: California Historical Society Date created: circa 1920 Publisher (of the digital version): University of Southern California. Libraries Format (aat): photographic prints; photographs Geographic subject (state): California Legacy record ID: chs-m17403; USC-1-1-1-14203 Access conditions: Send requests to address or e-mail given. Phone (213) 821-2366; fax (213) 740-2343. Subject (file heading): Botany -- Cacti Subject (lcsh): Cactus