Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
July 24, 1823
Primary Source Reference:
Poulson's American Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia), 24 July 1823
Additional Source Text:
"Is expected to flower this evening."
Notes:
Selenicereus grandiflorus is a cactus species originating from the Antilles, Mexico and Central America. It blooms only once a year, for a single night.
Charles Willson Peale wrote to his son Rubens on 11 July 1823, "I have about 24 of the most choice & curious of Plants which Mr Pratt has loaned me, among them 2 or 3 of the night-blooming Cereus -- The day before yesterday his Gardner, told me that he thought that the flower most forward would not loom before thursday night, of course it was not noted in the papers -- however it blossomed on Wednesday night, but at 4 o'clock I found it was opening, and I hurried to get [it] painted on a transpar[en]t canviss that it was in blossom &c and hung this in front of the lamp at the state-house door, and it produced company to the amount of 10$ independant of my gratifiing some few friends, such as I could has[t]ily notice." Selected Papers, 4:296
Peale's Scientific Name:
Cactus grand florus
Current Common Name:
Night-Blooming Cactus
Current Scientific Name
Selenicereus grandiflorus
