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Title: A Preliminary Revision of the North American Species of Cactus, Anhalonium, and Lophophora
Author: Coulter, John Merle
Language: English
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A Preliminary Revision of the North American Species of Cactus,
Anhalonium, and Lophophora by John M. Coulter.
U. S. Department of Agriculture
Division of Botany
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE U. S. NATIONAL HERBARIUM
Vol. III--No. 2
Issued June 10, 1894
Preliminary Revision of the North American Species of Cactus,
Anhalonium, and Lophophora.
by
John M. Coulter.
Published by Authority of the Secretary of Agriculture
Washington
Government Printing Office
1894
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
U. S. Department of Agriculture
Division of Botany
Washington, D. C., March 21, 1894
SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for publication as
Vol. III, No. 2, of Contributions from the U. S. National
Herbarium, a Preliminary Revision of the North American species
of Cactus, Anhalonium, and Lophophora, by President John M.
Coulter.
Respectfully,
Frederick V. Coville,
Chief of the Division of Botany.
Hon. J. Sterling Morton,
Secretary of Agriculture.
PRELIMINARY REVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES
OF CACTUS, ANHALONIUM, AND LOPHOPHORA.
Prefatory Note.
In the fall of 1890 Dr. George Vasey, then Botanist of the
Department of Agriculture, arranged with me to prepare a revision
of North American Cactaceae. Owing to the peculiar difficulty of
preserving material the family was poorly represented, even in
our leading herbaria. To secure a large amount of additional
material in the way of specimens and field notes the Department
authorized me to visit the region of the Mexican boundary during
the summer of 1891. Preliminary to this exploration it was
necessary to examine the Engelmann collection of Cactaceae, in
the possession of the Missouri Botanical Garden. This
collection, supplemented by the continual additions made at the
garden, is by far the largest collection of skeletons and living
specimens in this country, and also contains the large majority
of our types.
In March, 1891, I visited this collection and made such notes as
seemed necessary for use in the field, and in June, accompanied
by Mr. W. H. Evans and Mr. G. C. Nealley, I began field work in
the neighborhood of El Paso, Tex. After ten days of exploration
it was necessary for me to leave the field work in charge of Mr.
Evans, who, with Mr. Nealley, continued work westward, during
July and a part of August, to southern California, along the
Southern Pacific Railway. As a result a large number of complete
plant bodies was secured, but very few of them were in flower and
the field notes indicated little besides collection stations.
During the following fall and winter preliminary determinations
of this material were made by Mr. Evans.
In the fall of 1892 critical study of this and other collections
was begun in connection with my assistants, Dr. Elmon M. Fisher
and Mr. Edwin B. Uline, who have ever since rendered constant and
most import assistance in the examination of material and
bibliography, which alone has made the work possible in the midst
of other pressing duties.
In the spring of 1893 these two gentlemen spent several weeks at
the Missouri Botanical Garden in the critical study of its rich
material, and during the latter part of their stay I assisted in
the work. Dr. William Trelease, the director of the garden, had
hastened the arrangement of the Engelmann material, and had
mounted in convenient form the large mass of notes left by Dr.
Engelmann. These notes contained not only critical remarks upon
known species, but also the diagnoses of many unpublished species
which had come into his hands, notably those collected by Mr.
William Gabb in 1867 in Lower California. The collections that
have thus far been studied are:
(1) Those of the Missouri Botanical Garden; and thanks are
especially due to Dr. Trelease for his generous cooperation in
the use of this material, without which the work would have been
impossible.
(2) Those of the Department of Agriculture, including the results
of several recent explorations, for the use of which I am
indebted to Mr. Frederick V. Coville.
(3) Those of the Gray Herbarium at Harvard University, which Dr.
B. L. Robinson kindly placed at my disposal.
(4) Those of the California Academy of Sciences, notably rich in
forms from Lower California and the adjacent islands, kindly
loaned by Mr. T. S. Brandegee.
(5) Those of Dr. Louis Eschanzier, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico,
who send a large series of Mexican forms collected in 1891.
(6) Numerous small sets from different correspondents, who have
given both time and material in aiding the work.
It is needless to say that Dr. George Engelmann, the great
pioneer student of this difficult family, has opened the paths in
which we must follow, and it was exceedingly unfortunate that he
was not able to complete the final revision that he had in mind.
The difficulties which beset the critical study of this group can
not be easily exaggerated. Such scanty material as has been
collected has been for the most part very incomplete, consisting
of plant bodies without flower or fruit, flower or fruit without
plant bodies, and bunches of spines without either. The species
are displayed also in the most inaccessible regions, and their
culmination is found in the still poorly known regions of Mexico.
On account of their singular forms and often brilliant flowers
they have long been extensively cultivated, especially in Europe.
These cultivated forms have formed the basis of original
descriptions in almost all of the European publications, and in
very rare cases have any types been preserved. As a result, the
bibliography of Cactaceae is appalling, and it is questionable
whether satisfactory conclusions can be reached in the case of
hundreds of published names. The earlier descriptions were not
only meager, but were based upon what are now regarded very
insufficient characters, and in the absence of types it is not
only unsafe, but impossible to venture an opinion concerning
their identity. In view of these facts, I have thought it
advisable to present a preliminary revision of the order, which
shall contain the results of the study of material confessedly
insufficient. With such knowledge as we possess brought
together, it is hoped that the study of this very interesting and
much neglected group will be stimulated, and that more critical
exploration of our southwestern territory and adjacent Mexico
will make a more satisfactory presentation possible. It would be
useless to notice the vast number of reputed species that are not
represented by actual specimens in our possession.
In the proposed preliminary account of the family, of which the
present paper is the first part, only those genera are considered
which form a part of the flora of the United States, and those
species which I have been able to examine and to identify with
reasonable certainty. All forms credited to the United States
have been studied, and the account of these species may be
considered fairly complete, but the far more numerous Mexican
species are but scantily represented. The Mexican boundary is so
unnatural a dividing line in the distribution of Cactaceae that
it has been disregarded, and all the species studied have been
arranged in a lineal series of uniform prominence. So far as
known the subject of geographical distribution is considered, but
it will be seen how meager is our knowledge of this subject. It
is to be hoped that this preliminary presentation will provoke
exploration and study, and that species will not only be
collected, but all the facts of their distribution noted. It is
more than probable that our present notion of species in this
group must be much modified, and doubtless many forms are at
present kept specifically distinct which will prove to be but
different phases of a single species.
In the matter of generic delimitation we are in still greater
uncertainty, and several generic lines at present recognized must
be regarded as purely arbitrary, a fact which must become still
more evident with additional material. The whole group is to be
regarded as made up of poorly differentiated forms and only long
observation under cultivation can determine the possibilities of
specific variation under the influence of environment, of age, of
inherent tendencies. For instance, that these plants change in
form and in spine characters with increasing age and after they
have begun to flower can not be doubted, but what described forms
have thus been separated in descriptions can only be guessed at.
John M. Coulter.
Lake Forest University,
Lake Forest, Ill., January, 1891.
CACTUS, ANHALONIUM, AND LOPHOPHORA.
1. CACTUS Linn. Sp. Pl. 466 (1753), restricted.
MAMILLARIA Haw. Synop. 177 (1812), not Stackh. (1809).
Usually globose to oblong plants (simple, branching or
cespitose), but sometimes slender-cylindrical, covered with
spine-bearing tubercles: flower-bearing areola axillary (with
reference to tubercles), entirely separate from the terminal
spine-bearing areola, although sometimes (Coryphantha) connected
with it by a woolly groove along the upper face of the tubercle:
ovary naked: seeds smooth or pitted: embryo usually straight,
with short cotyledons. Originally defined by Linnaeus in his
Systema, ed. l (1735).
The Linnaean genus Cactus of 1753 included 22 species and was
coextensive with the present order. In 1812 the species were
separated by Haworth into five genera, the original generic name
Cactus being discarded. Among these species C. mamillaris seems
to have stood as the type, not only of the Linnaean genus Cactus,
but also of Haworth's Mamillaria, and as such should retain the
original generic name. Besides, Mamillaria was used as the
generic name of an alga in 1809. Cactus mamillaris L. is the
West Indian Mamillaria simplex Haw.
From one point of view the two sections of the genus
(Eumamillaria and Coryphantha) deserve generic separation, for
the character of grooveless and grooved tubercles seems to hold
without exception, and the sections are separated with more
certainty than are certain species of Coryphantha and
Echinocactus. If genera are simply groups of convenience the
separation should be made.
I. EUMAMILLARIA. Flowers from the axils of the older or
full-grown tubercles (hence usually appearing lateral), mostly
small, and generally from whitish to pink or red: tubercles never
grooved: fruit almost always clavate and scarlet.
A. Tubercles more or less quadrangular.
* Central spines not hooked.
+ More than one central spine.
1. Cactus alternatus, sp. nov.
Subglobose, 10 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles long (15 to 20
mm.) and spreading, with woolly axils: radial spines 3, rigid and
recurved, 5 mm. long; central spines 3, very stout and much
recurved, 20 to 30 mm. long, alternating with the radials; all
ashy colored and often twisted: flower and fruit unknown.--Type
in Herb. Coulter.
The few spines, with the very short radials alternating with the
very long and stout centrals, furnish a striking character.
Occasionally one of the centrals is wanting.
2.Cactus acanthophlegmus (Lehm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260
(1891).
Mamillaria acanthophlegma Lehm. Delect. Sem. Hamb. (1833)
Subglobose with a deeply depressed vertex, or becoming
cylindrical, 3 to 8.5 cm. in diameter: tubercles sharply
quadrangular-conical, with densely woolly axils: radial spines 15
to 30, white, very slender (bristly) and radiant, sometimes
coarse capillary, 4 to 7 mm. long, interwoven with those of
neighboring tubercles and so covering the whole plant; central
spines 2 to 4, robust and straight, erect or divergent, whitish
or reddish, black-tipped, 5 to 6.5 mm. long: flowers reddish, 1
to 2 cm. broad: fruit unknown. Type unknown.
From Coahuila and San Luis Potosi to Oaxaca. Fl. May.
Specimens examined: Coahuila (Poselger of 1856; Pringle 3116 of
1890): San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891).
The central spines are quite variable in number and arrangement.
In case there are two they are vertically placed and are either
erect and parallel or widely divergent. Even three centrals may
occur in the same vertical plane; but more usually the three or
four centrals are arranged about a center and are widely
divergent. The tubercles are apt to persist and to become naked
and corky with age. The axillary wool and the capillary radials
are also apt to be more or less persistent, thus giving the whole
plant a woolly appearance.
3.Cactus brandegei, sp. nov.
Cylindrical: tubercles sharply quadrangular-conical, 6 to 8 mm.
long, with densely woolly axils: radial spines about 10, slender
and rigid, whitish with dusky tips, spreading but not radiant, 7
to 10 mm. long; central spines 3 or 4, stouter and slightly
longer, erect-spreading (sometimes slightly curved),
reddish-brown below, becoming blackish above: flowers small
(scarcely longer than the tubercle?): fruit unknown. Type in
Herb. Calif. Acad.
San Jorge, Lower California. Fl. April.
Specimens examined: Lower California (Brandegee of 1889, at San
Jorge).
The species has somewhat the spine characters of C. palmeri, but
the sharply quadrangular and longer tubercles with axillary wool
free from bristles suggest a very different affinity.
4.Cactus densispinus, sp. nov.
Globose, 7.5 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles short, with
woolly axils: radial spines about 25, erect-spreading, slender
but rigid, yellow (brownish to black with age), unequal, 8 to 10
mm. long; central spines 6, a little longer (10 to 12 mm.) and
straight, more rigid and darker, black-tipped: seeds obovate,
reddish-brown, 1 mm. long. Type in Herb. Coulter.
Very easily distinguished by its dense, erect spines, which so
completely cover the plant as to give it the appearance of a
large chestnut bur. Another much smaller form, which seems to be
a variety, has stouter and longer ashy-white spines, the centrals
darker-tipped, and the lower centrals slightly curved.
++ One short central spine (rarely two or none): ovaries
immersed: seeds small, yellow and rugulose: simple.
5.Cactus heyderi (Muhlenpf.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria heyderi Muhlenpf. Allg. Gart. Zeit. xvi. 20(1848).
Mamillaria declivis Dietr. Allg. Gart. Zeit. xviii. 235
(1850).
Mamillaria applanata Engelm. Pl. Lindh 198 (1850).
Mamillaria texensis Labouret, Monogr. Cact. 89 (1858).
Depressed, globose, usually with depressed vertex, 8 to 12 cm.
broad, 2.5 to 5 cm. high: tubercles elongated: radial spines 10
to 22, whitish, 5 to 12 mm. long, the lower usually the longer,
stouter, and often darker; central spine 4 to 8 mm. long, light
yellowish-brown, stout, straight, and porrect: flowers 2 to 2.5
cm. long, reddish-white: fruit incurved, 1.5 to 3 cm. long. (Ill.
Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 9. figs. 4-14). Type unknown.
From the Guadalupe River, Texas, to the mouth of the Rio Grande,
and westward to Arizona and Sonora. Fl. April, May.
Specimens examined: Texas (Lindheimer of 1845, 1847, 1853; Wright
226, also collections of 1849, 1852, 1853, 1855, 1856; Bigelow of
1853; Trelease of 1892; Nealley of 1892): New Mexico (Wright 311;
Bigelow of 1853, Evans of 1891): Arizona (Pringle of 1881): also
growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893; and in the World's Fair
collection of Mrs. Nickels.
The radial spines are somewhat variable in relative length, often
becoming almost equal, while sometimes the upper radials are very
much reduced. The figure referred to in Cact. Mex. Bound. is not
satisfactory as to the general habit of the plant, which is
flat-topped rather than hemispherical.
6.Cactus heyderi hemisphaericus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria hemisphaerica Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 198 (1850).
Differs in being hemispherical instead of flat-topped, in its
fewer (9 to 12) and shorter (4 to 8 mm.) radial spines, and much
smaller less rough and lighter-colored seeds. (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t. 9. figs. 15-17) Type, the "Goebel's Garden" plants in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Throughout southern Texas and southern New Mexico, and southward;
not extending so far north or west as the species, and apparently
not so abundant within the United States. Fl. May.
Specimens examined: Texas(Schott 322, 614): New Mexico (Evans of
1891): also specimens cultivated in the Goebel Garden, St. Louis,
in 1847, brought from "below Matamoras on the Rio Grande" by the
St. Louis Volunteers, in 1816.
On account of its convex top the variety becomes somewhat higher
than the species (5 to 7.5 cm.), and the flowers are sometimes
slightly longer (2 to 3 cm.).
7.Cactus meiacanthus (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260
(1891).
Mamillaria meiacantha Engelm. Syn. Cact. 263 (1856)
Hemispherical or with depressed vertex, 7.5 to 12.5 cm. in
diameter, with a broad top-shaped base: tubercles compressed, 14
to 18 mm. long: radial spines 5 to 9 (usually about 6), stout
and strongly subulate, 6 to 10 mm. long, straight or somewhat
curved, whitish or yellowish, the lower mostly a little longer,
the upper one sometimes wanting; central spine shorter and stout,
darker, straight, and porrect, turned upwards among the radials,
or rarely wanting: flowers 2.5 to 3 cm. long, reddish-white:
fruit incurved, 2 to 3 cm. long. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t.
9, figs. 1-3). Type specimens are those of the collections of
1847, 1851, 1852, and 1853, from which the original description
was drawn and all of which are in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From the Guadalupe River, Texas, to the "Great Bend" of the Rio
Grande, westward through western Texas and New Mexico; also
northern Mexico (Hemsley); Fl. May, June.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1851, 1852; Bigelow of
1853): New Mexico ("Missouri Volunteers" of 1847; unknown
collector in 1880); also specimens cultivated in St. Louis in
1853, and others growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
Dr. Engelmann regarded this species as possibly only a variety
of C. heyderi, to which it is certainly very closely allied
through var. hemisphaerica, but the different tubercles and
fewer stouter spines serve so well to distinguish it that it
seems best to retain its specific rank.
In reference to the citation of the original description an
explanation seems necessary, which will apply to numerous similar
cases. The Pacif. R. Rep. iv. 27 (1856), Syn. Cact. 263
(1858), and Cact. Mex. Bound. 9 (1859), have each been cited
as the original publication. The confusion has arisen from the
fact that in both the publications of 1856 the description in the
Rep. Mex. Bound. is referred to, and in that report the plant
is fully described as "sp. nov." However, the publication of
the Boundary Report was long delayed on account of the
preparation of the plates, and in the meantime both the
publications of 1856 had appeared, in each one of which the
species is distinctly characterized and reference made to the
description in the forthcoming Boundary Report. As between the
two publications of 1856 the Syn. Cact. (Proc. Amer. Acad.
iii. 259) was evidently distributed first.
8.Cactus gummiferus (Engelm.) Kuntze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 260
(1891).
Mamillaria gummifera Engelm. Wisliz. Rep. 21 (1848).
Hemispherical, 7.5 to 12.5 cm. broad and 6 to 10 cm. high:
tubercles 12 to 15 mm. long: radial spines 10 to 12, the lower
stout, with dusky apex, 12 to 15 mm. long, twice or thrice as
long as the whitish setaceous upper ones; central spine
(sometimes two) shorter (about 4 mm.), stout, dusky and porrect:
flowers 3 cm. long, reddish-white, brownish-red outside: fruit
unknown. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 9. figs. 18-20) Type
probably lost, as no specimens could be found in the Engelmann
Herbarium.
Chihuahua, near Cosihuiriachi.
So far as can be discovered, this species has not been collected
since the original Wislizenus collection of 1846-47. The plants
were cultivated by Dr. Engelmann and made to bloom, showing the
flowers to be larger and darker colored than in the rest of the
group, from which the species also differs in its more robust
habit, its very unequal radial spines, and the occasional
occurrence of two centrals.
** Central spine hooked.
9.Cactus uncinatus (Zucc) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1591).
Mamillaria uncinata Zucc. in Pfeiff. Enum. 34 (1837).
Mamillaria bihamata Pfeiff. in Otto and Deitr. Gart. vi. 274 (1840)
Mamillaria adunca Scheidw. (1845-1849?).
Mamillaria depressa Scheidw. (1845-1849?).
Usually globose (occasionally depressed or even subcolumnar), 5
to 6 cm. in diameter (doubtless becoming larger): tubercles 8
to 10 mm. long, woolly in the upper axils: radial spines 4 to
6, rigid, 4 to 6 mm. long, the upper one stouter than the rest
and sometimes shorter, reddish-brown and horny, straight or
slightly curved, the remainder straight and white with dusky
tips; central spine stout and horny, reddish-brown, 7 to 10 mm.
long: flowers greenish-white or tinged with red: fruit unknown
Type unknown.
Entirely Mexican, reported from Chihuahua to Saint Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Gregg of 1848; Parry 268;
Eschanzier of 1891): Chihuahua (Wislizenus of 1846-47; also
Chihuahua specimens cultivated in the Jacoby Garden in 1856 and
1857).
The variations observed in this species do not seem sufficient
for the establishment of varieties. The type form seems to have
been globose, with 4 radial spines and a stout central one. The
depressed forms with 6 radials and a more slender central
represent var. spinosior Lem. (M. depressa Scheidw.); and the
subcolumnar forms with 6 radials (the upper one of which is
somewhat curved) and a stout strongly hooked central represent
var biuncinata Lem. (M. bihamata Pfeiff.) Such combinations of
characters, however, do not hold, as any one of the plant body
forms may display any one of the spine characters referred to.
B. Tubercles terete.
* Central spines none: mostly simple globose plants, with very
numerous straight whitish setaceous radials.
10. Cactus lasiacanthus (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 259
(1891).
Mamillaria lasiacantha Engelm. Syn. Cact. 261 (1856).
Globose or ovate globose, 2 to 2.5 cm. high and 1 to 2 cm. broad:
tubercles 4 mm. long, about 2 mm. in diameter, with naked axils:
spines 40 to 60, in many series, very unequal, 2 to 4 mm, long,
white and pilose, the upper exterior usually longer than the
rest, the innermost usually much shorter: flowers 12 mm. long,
whitish or pinkish (petals with red median band): fruit 1 to 2
cm. long: seeds about 1 mm. long, blackish and conspicuously
pitted. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 3). Type, the specimens of
Wright in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From western Texas ("west of time Pecos, on low limestone hills,
among herbage") to Arizona and Chihuahua. Fl. April, May.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright 121, also of 1852; Parry of
1852): Arizona (Miller of 1881): Chihuahua (Pringle 213,
250,258): also specimens cultivated in St. Louis in 1852 and
1855.
11. Cactus lasiacanthus denudatus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria lasiacantha denudata Engelm. Cact. Mex. Bound. 5
(1859).
Larger, 2.5 to 3.5 cm. in diameter, with longer tubercles (5 to 6
mm.), and more numerous (50 to 80) longer (3 to 5 mum.) spines
which are naked or nearly so. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 4)
Type, Wright specimen in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From western Texas (with the species) to Coahuila.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1852): Coahuila (Palmer of
1880).
In the Syn. Cact. Dr. Engelmann merges this variety with the
species, and has been followed in this by subsequent writers, but
the characters seem so (distinctive that its varietal rank has
been restored.
12. Cactus micromeris (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria micromeris Engelm. Syn. Cact. 260 (1856).
With depressed top and very rarely branching, 1 to 3.5 cm. in
diameter: tubercles very small (about 1 mm. long) and wart-like,
crowded, shedding the spines with age and giving the base of the
plant a tuberculated appearance: spines from white to ashy-gray,
1 to 3 mm. long; in young plants and on lower tubercles of adult
plants about 20, equal and radiant; on flower-bearing tubercles
30 to 40, stellate-porrect in every direction, the 6 to 8 upper
ones two to four times longer than the rest (4 to 8 mm.), clavate
toward the apex and acute (the clavate top at length deciduous),
intermixed with loose wool of about the same length and forming a
small tuft on the top of the plant which includes and partly
hides flowers and fruit: flowers whitish to light pink, almost
central, very small (6 mm. in diameter), much reduced (3 to 5
sepals, 5 petals, 10 to 15 stamens, 3 stigmas): fruit 8 to 12 mm.
long: seeds 1.5 mm. long, black and shining. (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t. 1 and 2. figs. 1-4) Type, the specimens of Wright in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
On naked mountain tops and sides, extreme southwestern Texas (Val
Verde County to El Paso) and southward into Coahuila and
Chihuahua.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright 227 of 1849, also of 1852;
Nealley of 1892): Coahuila (Bigelow of 1853): Chihuahua (Pringle
212): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
The plants densely covered above with delicate ashy-gray spines
and with naked tuberculate base are readily recognized. It still
remains an open question whether the flowers are developed from
the axils of tubercles of the same season or the last ones of the
preceding season. Dr. Engelmann inclined to the latter view, as
all the other characters of the plant associate it with the
"lateral-flowered" species; and in the absence of definite
observation we have retained it there. If the nearly central
flowers indicate that they are produced from growth of the same
season the species would seem to be allied to Coryphantha, in
which group its small flowers and small tubercles would be
anomalous.
13. Cactus micromeris greggii (Engelm.).
Mamillaria micromeris greggii Engelm. Syn. Cact. 261 (1856).
Larger (2.5 to 5 cm. in diameter) and becoming oblong, with
larger globose-ovate tubercles (2 to 2.5 mm. long), fewer rigid
spines all radiant (interior 5 to 7 shorter and stouter, 1 to 2
mm. long; the outer 15 to 18, 3 to 4 mm. long), and fruit 1.5 to
2 mm. long. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 2. figs. 5-8) Type, Gregg
508 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Mountain ridges near Saltillo, Coahuila. Said by Budd to occur
within the southern borders of Pecos County, Tex.
Specimens examined: Coahuila (Gregg 508; Palmer of 1880).
It is a question whether this variety does not merely represent
an older and better developed plant than those upon which the
species is based. Mr. Harry I. Budd, who has made extensive
collections of Texan and Mexican Cacti for the market, reports
that it is impossible to separate sharply the variety from the
species in the field, and regards the difference merely as one of
age. Unfortunately, only living material of the species could be
examined, but its characters seem well sustained even in the most
vigorous plants, some of which reach the size of the variety.
Through this variety the species is brought very near the
following:
14. Cactus bispinus.
Mamillaria microthele Muhlenpf. Allg. Gart. Zeit. p. 11
(1848),
not Lem. (1838).
Differs from the last form (var. greggii) chiefly in its
cespitose habit, much larger tubercles, and two unusually stout
and short central spines (fide Engelmann, who examined specimens
in Coll. Salm-Dyck).
Credited to Mexico in general, but said by Budd to occur within
the southern border of Pecos County, Tex.
** Central spines present and one or more hooked.
+ Mostly globose and simple plants (occasionally somewhat
cylindrical).
15. Cactus wrightii (Engelm.) Kuntze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Mamillaria wrightii Engelm. Syn. Cact. 262 (1856).
Globose or depressed globose (top-shaped below), 3 to 7.5 cm. in
diameter, simple: tubercles 10 to 12 mm. long, with naked axils:
radial spines 8 to 12, white (the upper dusky-tipped), pubescent,
8 to 12 mm. long central spines mostly 2 (usually side by side
and divergent), rarely 1 or 3, scarcely longer, hooked and
reddish-black: flowers 2.5 cm. long, bright purple: fruit about
2.5 cm. long, somewhat subglobose, purple: seeds 1.4 mm long,
black and pitted. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t.8. figs. 1-8) Type,
Wright of 1851 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
High plains and rocky places, from the Upper Pecos, east of Santa
Fe, N. Mex., southward through extreme southwestern Texas
(between the Pecos and El Paso), and into Chihuahua (near Lake
Santa Maria).
Specimens examined: New Mexico (Wright of 1851; Rusby of 1880):
also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
Dr. Engelmann calls attention to the fact that this species is
closely allied to the Mexican C. zephranthoides (Scheidw.), but
in the absence of material representing the latter species no
comparison can be made. In descriptions of the Mexican species
the differently colored flowers and the much longer spines
suggest differences that an examination of fruit and seed
characters may still further emphasize.
16. Cactus goodrichii (Scheer) Kuntze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria goodrichii Scheer in Salm Cact. Hort. Dyck. 91
(1850).
Globose or ovate, 5 to 7.5 cm. high, subsimple: tubercles ovate,
short (3 to 5 mm.), somewhat corky and persistent, with dense
wool in the young axils containing 5 to 8 stiff bristles: radial
spines 11 to 15 (the uppermost one sometimes wanting), white and
rigid, 5 to 7 mm. long, entangled with adjoining clusters;
central spines 3 or 4 (often solitary in young plants),
brownish-black,the upper ones divergent and straight (rarely
showing a tendency to hook), the lower longer (9 to 10 mm.),
stouter and hooked (usually upwards): flowers 12 to 18 mm, long,
the petals yellowish-white with red midribs: fruit clavate and
scarlet. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 8. figs. 9-14) Type: Scheer
says that the plant was brought from the Island of "Corros"
(Cedros?) by Dr. Goodrich, and "unfortunately perished in the
gardens," which generally means that there is not a fragment of
the type in existence.
In dry ravines, from San Diego County, California, southward
throughout Lower California and the neighboring islands
(including Guadalupe Island). "Llavina."
Specimens examined: California (Parry of 1850, 1875; Agassiz of
1872; Parish 450 of 1882 at Vallecito): Lower California (Gabb 18
of 1867; Brandegee of 1889 on Magdalena Island, and 240 of 1890
from San Jose del Cabo): also specimens cultivated in Gard.
Salm-Dyck.
By a misprint in Cact. Mex. Bound, the specific name appeared as
"Goodridgii," and this error appears in almost every subsequent
mention of the species, even in Watson's Bibliographical Index,
although in Syn. Cact. and other references by Dr. Engelmann the
correct form appears.
17. Cactus pondii (Greene).
Mamillaria pondii Greene, Pittonia, i, 268 (1889).
Oval or cylindrical, from low to 30 cm. high, simple or sparingly
branched: radial spines 20 to 30, white and slender; centrals 4
or 5, the longest over 25 mm, long, rigid and strongly hooked,
dark brown above the middle: flowers nearly 5 cm. long, bright,
scarlet: fruit unknown. Type, Pond specimens in Herb. Greene.
Cedros Island, off the west coast of Lower California. Fl.
February.
Unfortunately, the type specimen has been mislaid, so that no
examination of it could be made. Evidently related to C.
goodrichii, but differing in its much more robust habit, more
numerous radials, much longer spines, and larger scarlet flowers.
18. Cactus barbatus (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Mamillaria barbata Engelm. Wisliz. Rep. 22 (1848).
Depressed-globose, about 4 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles 8
mm. long, with naked axils: radial spines very numerous (50 to
60), in two series, 6 to 8 mm. long, the outer (about 40) slender
but rigid and white, the inner (10 to 15) a little stouter and
yellow; usually one central spine, stout and erect, hooked
downwards, brownish: flowers 18 to 20 mm. long, rose-red: fruit
oblong, 10 to 12 mm. long, green (when mature?): seeds minute,
dark brown and lightly pitted. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound t. 6. figs.
9-12) Type, Wislizenus of 1846 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Central Chihuahua. Fl. May, in cultivation.
Specimens examined: Chihuahua (Wislizenus of 1846, 1850): also
specimens cultivated in Baumann's Garden in 1857, 1858; also
growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
Dr. Engelmann observed a curious intermediate character in the
origin of the flowers of this species, the first ones of the
season appearing in the axils of the last tubercles of the
preceding year, while the later ones develop from the axils of
the first tubercles of the same season. The specimen growing in
Mo. Bot. Gard, in 1893 had 3 central spines, one or two being
hooked.
19. Cactus grahami (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria grahami Engelm. Syn. Cact. 262 (1856).
Globose or at length ovate, 2.5 to 7.5 cm. high, simple or
branched from the base and even cespitose: tubercles ovate, 6 mm.
long, dilated at base (corky and persistent when old), with naked
axils: radial spines 15 to 30 in a single series, white, often
dusky-tipped, slender but rigid, naked or puberulent, 6 to 12 mm.
long, the shorter ones uppermost, the longer ones lateral;
central spines 1 to 3, blackish from a paler base, the lower
(often the only) one stouter and longer (6 to 18 mm.), hooked
upward, the one or two upper ones (when present) shorter and
slenderer, divergent: flowers 2 to 2.5 cm. long, rose-colored:
fruit 2 to 2.5 cm. long: seeds 0.8 to 1 mm. long, black and
pitted. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 6. figs. 1-8) Type, Wright
of 1852 and Bigelow of 1852 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
In rocky places, from the mountains of extreme southwestern Texas
(west of the Pecos) to southern Utah, southern California (common
along the Colorado), and Sonora. Fl. June-August.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1852; Newberry of 1858; G.
R. Vasey of 1881; Miller of 1881; Briggs of 1892): New Mexico
(Evans of 1891): Arizona (Bigelow of 1852; Schott of 1858; Cous
of 1865; Palmer of 1869, 1870; Engelmann of 1880; Pringle of
1884): Utah (Parry of 1874): Sonora (Schott of 1853): also
specimens cultivated in the Mo. Bot. Gard. in 1881.
In all references to the fruit of this species it is described as
"oval and green," except in Ives Report, where Dr. Engelmann
describes its real character as the ordinary fruit of
Eumamillaria. The immature fruit is "oval and green," but with
maturity it becomes clavate and scarlet. The Utah specimens of
Parry show an exceptional character in their 30 to 33 scabrous
radial spines, but otherwise they are quite normal. M.
microcarpa Engelm., Emory's Rep. 156. f. 3, should be dropped as
a synonym of this species, at least as to figure and description.
In all probability C.grahami is one of the forms of the Mexican
C. schelhasii (Pfeiff.). Except that in C. grahami the radial
spines are apt to be more numerous and longer, and the centrals
much darker; and in C. schelhasii the 3 centrals seem to be
always present and sometimes all hooked, the descriptions suggest
no difference. In the absence of authentic specimens of the
latter species, however, and with its fruit and seed entirely
unknown, such a reference of C. grahami must be deferred.
20. Cactus bocasanus (Poselger).
Mamillaria bocasana Poselger, Gart. Zeit. 94 (1853).
Depressed-globose, 2 to 3 cm. high: tubercles 8 mm. long, with
long axillary wool: radial spines 25 to 30, white and capillary,
10 to 25 mm. long; central spines 2 to 4, slender and naked (or
slightly puberulent), the most central one hooked (usually
upwards), 15 to 25 mm. long, the upper 1 to 3 shorter and
straight, all yellow with red tips, the hooked one often
brownish-red nearly to the base: flowers unknown: fruit green,
about 4 mm. long: seeds cinnamon-brown, oblique, broadly obovate,
with narrowly ovate basal hilum. Type unknown.
San Luis Potosi, so far as known. Poselger says, "Texas, auf der
Seira de Bocas, among rocks," which station we have been unable
to locate.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891): also
specimens cultivated in Hort. Pfersdorff in 1869; in Mo. Bot.
Gard. in 1891; also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
The capillary radials give the plant a white-woolly appearance.
The younger spines at the vertex are erect and tufted. It
resembles C. grahami, but the tubercles are much more slender and
not thickened at base, all the spines are more slender, the
central hooked one is more reddish, and the fruit is much
shorter.
21. Cactus eschanzieri, sp. nov.
Depressed-globose, 3 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles broader
at base, 6 to 8 mm. long, with naked axils: spines all pubescent;
radials 15 to 20, with dusky tips, the lateral 10 to 12 mm. long,
the lower weaker, shorter and curved, the upper shorter; solitary
central spine reddish, slender, somewhat twisted, usually hooked
upwards, 15 to 25 mm. long: flowers red (?): fruit reddish (?),
ovate, about 10 mm, long: seeds reddish, oblique-obovate, 1.2 mm.
long, pitted, with subventral hilum. Type in Herb. Coulter.
San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891).
Resembles C. grahami, but with fewer and more slender pubescent
spines, longer and less rigid central, more exserted fruit, and
much larger reddish and strongly pitted seeds with subventral
hilum.
22. Cactus tetrancistrus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria tetrancistra Engelm. Am. Jour. Sci. II. xiv. 337
(1852), in part.
Mamillaria phellosperma Engelm. Syn. Cact. 262 (1856).
Cactus pellospermus Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Ovate or ovate-cylindrical, 5 to 25 cm. high, 3.5 to 7.5 cm. in
diameter, simple or rarely branching at base: tubercles
ovate-cylindrical, 8 to 14 mm. long, with axillary
bristle-bearing wool, at length naked: radial spines 30 to 60, in
two series, the exterior bristle-like, shorter and white, the
interior stouter, longer and dusky-tipped or purplish; central
spines 3 or 4, stouter, longer, brown or blackish from a paler
base, the upper 2 or 3 (10 to 14 mm. long) straight, or one or
two or even all hooked, the lower stouter and longer (12 to 18
mm.), hooked upwards: flowers about 2.5 cm. long: fruit 1 to 2.5
cm. long: seeds large (1.2 to 1.5 mm. in diameter), globose and
wrinkled, partly immersed in a brown spongy or corky cup-shaped
3-lobed appendage. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 7) Type, Parry of
1850, but modified by Le Conte 14 and Bigelow of 1854, all in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Gravelly soil and sandy stream-banks, from the eastern slopes of
the mountains of southern California, throughout western Arizona
and southern Nevada to southern Utah; referred also to "N. W.
Mexico" by Hemsley (Biol. Centr.-Amer.).
Specimens examined: California (Parry of 1850; Newberry of 1858;
Parish of 1882): Arizona (Le Conte 14; Bigelow of 1854; Dr. Loew
of 1875: also Palmer of 1870, but with no locality.
In the original description this species was confounded with C.
grahami, with which it grows and which it much resembles; and
this, together with the fact that 4 central hooked spines are
seldom found, induced Dr. Engelmann (Syn. Cact. 262) to propose
the more appropriate but untenable name M. phellosperma. The
resemblance to C. grahami is not so close as general appearance
would indicate, as the more oblong or cylindrical form, longer
and less crowded tubercles, more numerous spines, often more than
one hooked central, large seeds, and remarkable seed appendages
serve well to distinguish it.
++ Plants with fasciculate slender cylindrical stems (30 to 45
cm. high, and 2.5 to 6 cm. in diameter): Lower Californian.
23. Cactus roseanus (Brandegee).
Mamillaria longihamata Engelm. Mss.
Mamillaria roseana Brandegee, Zoe, ii. 19 (1891).
Fasciculately branched at base, the stems 30 to 45 cm. long
(sometimes pendent from rocks and as much as 200 cm. long) and
2.5 to 5 cm. in diameter, the whole plant glaucous: tubercles
elongated-conical, ascending, 10 to 12 mm. long, with woolly
axils: radial spines 7 to 10, straight, rigid and sharp, 9 to 15
mm. long, dark reddish when young, becoming ashy, the upper ones
the longer; the solitary central much longer (20 to 30 mm.),
almost black below and with reddish tip, becoming ashy with age,
usually hooked downwards: flowers numerous, 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long,
bright scarlet: fruit obovate to globose, scarlet, 6 to 9 mm. in
diameter, fleshy: seeds black and pitted. Type in Herb. Calif.
Acad.
Apparently common at low elevations throughout southern Lower
California, especially the eastern side.
Specimens examined: Lower California (W. M. Gabb 17 of 1867, near
Loreto; Brandegee of 1889, at San Gregorio; Palmer 139 of 1890,
near La Paz; Palmer 880 of 1890, on Carmen Island; Brandegee 241
of 1890, at Rancho Colorado).
One of the most showy species of Lower California. The plant has
the appearance of a Coryphanth, and is remarkable for its tall
and slender habit, its large central hooks, and its globose
fruit. Since 1867 this species has been in Herb. Engelmann,
fully characterized as above under the very appropriate specific
name longihamatus.
24. Cactus setispinus, sp. nov.
Mamillaria Setispina Engelm. Mss.
Fasciculate and ascending, simple or branched at base, the stems
about 30 cm. high and 3 to 6 cm. in diameter, densely covered
with remarkably long stout spines: tubercles short and broadly
conical, with axillary wool: spines white. with black tips;
radials 10 to 12, widely spreading, very unequal, 10 to 34 mm.
long, slender and flexuous; central spines 1 to 4, more rigid and
much longer (20 to 50 mm.), the upper ones straight, the lowest
one longest and hooked (usually upwards) and often variously
curved and twisted: fruit obovate and scarlet 30 mm. long: seeds,
black and pitted. Type, Gabb 15 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Rocky or gravelly soil, San Julio Canyon. and in the vicinity of
San Borgia, Lower California.
Specimens examined: Lower California (W. M. Gabb 15 of 1867, at
San Borgia; Brandegee of 1889, from San Borgia and San Julio
Canyon).
In his notes Mr. Gabb describes the flower as "large, 3 to 3.5
inches long, bell-shaped, of a beautiful purplish red color,"
concerning which Dr. Engelmann remarks "this would indicate a
Coryphanth, but the tubercles show no trace of a groove, and,
moreover, a withered remnant of a flower laterally attached (say
18 to 20 mm. long), so that I have no doubt that Mr. Gabb's
statement is founded on some error." It is very probable that
the flowers are scarlet and larger than Dr. Engelmann suggests.
The species is closely allied to C. roseanus, but differs in its
shorter tubercles and much longer spines. About a dozen stems
rise in a clump, about a foot high, covering an area of 2 or 3
feet. These two species represent a very distinct Lower
Californian group of cylindrical and hooked Eumamillarias. Both
probably have showy scarlet flowers and may attain considerable
length when growing upon rock ledges so as to become pendent.
The specimens of C. setispinus from San Julio Canyon are from
younger parts and show but a single long and hooked central. The
San Borgia specimens show mostly 3 or 4 centrals, the lowest one
hooked and becoming remarkably long and often variously twisted
and curved. However, I can discover no difference except such as
may be due to age.
++ Central spines present and not hooked.
+ Central spines more than one, longer than the radials, which
are numerous, white and slender (capillary or bristle-like)
(rigid in C. Halei).
25. Cactus halei (Brandegee).
Mamillaria halei Brandegee, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci Scr. 2. ii.
161 (1889).
Stems cylindrical, 8 to 10 in a clump, about 30 cm. high and 5 to
7.5 cm. in diameter: tubercles short, with axillary wool: radial
spines 10 to 22, rigid and erect-spreading, unequal, 6 to 15 mm.
long; central spines numerous and erect-spreading, 1 to 3 of them
very stout and prominent (25 to 35 mm. long); all the spines
straight, at first reddish-brown, becoming yellowish and ashy,
more or less dark-tipped: flowers 2.5 cm. long, bright scarlet
(almost throughout): fruit 12 mm, long, clavate and red: seeds
black and pitted. (Ill. l. c. t. 6) Type in Herb. Calif. Acad.
Abundant on Magdalena and Santa Margarita Islands, western coast
of Lower California. Fl. January.
Specimens examined: Lower California (Brandegee of 1889, on
Magdalena Island).
The tubercles are so close together that the plant appears
thickly covered with the unusually stout and erect-spreading
straight spines, a few of the centrals being specially prominent.
The plant is more slender than the ordinary "cylindrical"
members of the genus, but stouter than the slender hooked forms
of the preceding section.
26. Cactus rhodanthus (Link & Otto) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria rhodantha Link & Otto, Icon. t. 26 (1828-31)
Mamillaria lanifera Haw. Phil. Mag. lxiii., 41 (), not
Salm-Dyck (1850).
Oblong or subcylindric, 30 cm. or more high, 7.5 to 10 cm. in
diameter, often forking from the middle: tubercles conical, 12
mm. long, 8 mm. in diameter, with woolly axils: radial spines 16
to 20, bristle-like, white, the lower longer (8 to 10 mm.);
central spines 6 or 7, rigid, whitish with black tip, 12 mm.
long: flowers rose color, 12 mm. in diameter: fruit 2.5 cm. long,
cylindrical. (Ill. l. c.) Type unknown.
Referred to Mexico in general, but reported as yet from San Luis
Potosi to southern Mexico. Fl. profusely all summer.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Bourgeau 47; Pringle 3679;
Eschanzier of 1891): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
The specimens of Bourgeau and Pringle have somewhat larger spines
than the type, as indicated by the description.
27. Cactus rhodanthus sulphureospinus.
Mamillaria sulphurea Forst. Handb. Cact. (1846), not Cactus
sulphureus Gill, (1830).
Mamillaria rhodantha sulphurea Salm, Hurt. Cact. Dyck. 11
(1850).
Central spines sulphur-yellow; otherwise like the species. Type
unknown.
San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Pfeiffer, with no number or
date; Eschanzier of 1891).
The varietal distinction maintained seems a small one, but it is
constant and striking, so far as can be discovered.
28. Cactus capillaris.
Mamillaria lanifera Salm, Cact. Hort. Dyck. 98 (1850), not
Haw.
Cactus laniferus Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 250 (1891).
Cylindrical and erect: tubercles crowded, conical, glaucous, with
axillary bristles: radial spines capillary and very numerous,
white and crisped, entirely covering the plant; central spines 4
to 6, rigid, straight and spreading, straw-colored, 8 to 12 mm.
long: flowers equaling the tubercles, the yellow petals striped
with red: fruit unknown. Type unknown.
Referred to Mexico in general, but definitely known only from
Coahuila.
Specimens examined: Coahuila. (Palmer of 1880).
There is a confusion of synonymy between this species and C.
rhodanthus, both having been named Mamillaria lanifera. The
earlier M. lanifera of Haworth, however, is clearly M. rhodantha
of Link & Otto; and although Prince Salm-Dyck revived the name
for the present species, the law of homonyms will not permit it
to stand. The name proposed refers to the abundant display of
capillary radial spines, which is probably the most notable
feature.
29. Cactus palmeri, sp. nov.
Cylindrical: tubercles crowded, glaucous, cylindrical (somewhat
broadest above), about 4 mm. long, with dense axillary wool
containing bristles: radial spines 25 to 30, very slender and
white but rigid, about 5 mm. long, spreading or somewhat radiant,
entangled with those of neighboring tubercles, and so covering
the whole plant; central spines 3 to 5 (usually 4), more robust,
erect or slightly divergent, brownish with darker tip, 7 to 8 mm.
long: flowers small: fruit clavate and scarlet: seeds black and
strongly pitted, 0.5 to 0.8 mm. in diameter. Type, Palmer 921 in
U. S. Nat. Herb.
San Benito Island, off the west coast of lower California.
Specimens examined: Lower California, San Benito Island (Palmer
921 of 1889, reported as Mamillaria Goodrichii).
Very closely allied to C. capillaris of eastern Mexico.
30. Cactus stellatus Willd. Enum. Suppl. 30 (1813).
Cactus pusillus DC. Cat. Hort. Monsp. 184 (1813), not Haw.
(1803).
Mamillaria pusilla DC. Prod. iii. 459 (1828).
A very common West Indian species, apparently differing from the
variety only in the very much fewer (12 to 20) radial spines,
although numerous specimens, both dried and living, were examined
for additional characters. This difference, however, is so
constant and striking that, taken together with the wide
geographical separation, it should stand as varietal.
31. Cactus stellatus texanus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria pusilla texana Engelm. Syn. Cact. 216 (1856).
Mamillaria texana Young, Fl. Texas, 279 (1873).
Ovate-globose, 2.5 to 3 cm. in diameter, 2.5 to 6 cm. high,
proliferous and at length cespitose: tubercles 7 to 9 mm. long,
the long axillary wool intermixed with several coarse twisted
bristles: radial spines very numerous, in many series, the outer
ones (30 to 50) capillary, white, elongated and flexuous or
crisped (12 to 16 mm, long when straightened), the inner ones (10
to 12) more rigid, shorter (6 to 8 mm.), puberulent, whitish or
yellowish, usually dark-tipped; central spines 5 to 8, rigid,
straight, pubescent, unequal, white below and reddish or dark
above: flowers 1.5 to 2 cm. long, the yellowish-white petals with
reddish median band: fruit 1.5 to 2 cm. long: seeds black and
shining, conspicuously pitted, 1.2 mm. long. (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t 5.) Type, Bigelow specimens in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From the mouth of the Rio Grande to El Paso, Tex., and southward
into Coahuila and Chihuahua. Fl. March-May.
Specimens examined: Texas (Bigelow of 1853; Nealley of 1892):
Coahuila (Bigelow of 1853): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1892
and 1893.
The exterior capillary spines cover the whole plant as with a
coarse wool.
32. Cactus pringlei, sp. nov.
Globose (?), 5 cm. in diameter: tubercles short-conical, about 6
mm. long, with very woolly axils: radial spines 18 to 20,
setaceous-bristly and radiant, 5 to 8 m in. long; central spines
5 to 7 (usually 6), stout and horny, more or less recurved,
spreading, 20 to 25 mm. long; all straw-colored, but the centrals
darker: flowers deep red (darker, even brownish, outside), 8 to
10 mm. long: fruit unknown. Type, Pringle of 1891 in Herb. Gray.
San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Pringle of 1891).
Evidently a member of the Chrysacantha group and near C.
rhodanthus sulphureospinus, but differs in the much shorter
tubercles, straw-colored spines, shorter radials, much longer
centrals, and smaller darker flowers.
33. Cactus sphaerotrichus (Lem.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria sphaerotricha Lem. Cact. 33 (1839).
Depressed-globose: tubercles cylindrical, obtuse, with some
axillary bristles: radial spines very much crowded, exceedingly
numerous, radiant, very slender and bristle-like, white; central
spines 6 to 10 and even more, erect and more rigid: flowers pale
reddish: fruit unknown. Type unknown.
Referred to Mexico in general, but reported only from San Luis
Potosi.
Specimens examined: Mexican specimens from Hort. Dyck in 1857;
from Hort. Pfersdorff in 1869; and growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893
(from material sent by Pringle from San Luis Potosi).
++ The single central spine shorter than the radials (in C.
longimamma centrals often more than one and somewhat
longer).
34. Cactus gabbli, sp. nov.
Mamillaria gabbii Engelm Mss.
Globose, 5 to 10 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles cylindrical,
slender, 12 to 14 mm. long, with woolly axils: radial spines
about 13, 5 to 8 mm. long, lower ones longer and stouter,
especially the lateral ones pectinate; the central shorter,
straight, and robust: flowers small, yellowish-red: fruit
unknown. Type in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Among rocks, from San Ignacio to Mission San Fernando, Lower
California, and "perhaps farther north in the interior."
Specimens examined: Lower California (W. M. Gabb 19 of 1867).
35. Cactus sphaericus (Dietr.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen Pl. 261 (1891).
Mamillaria sphaerica Dietr. Allg. Gart. Zeit xxi. 94 (1853).
Obovate or clavate, 5 cm. or more high, proliferous and at length
densely cespitose: tubercles elongated-ovate, acutish, 12 to 10
mm. long with axillary wool: radial spines 12 to 14, setaceous, 7
to 9 mm. long, bulbous at base, straight or curved, white;
central spine straight, subulate, somewhat shorter, but scarcely
stouter: flowers yellow, 3.5 to 5 cm. long: fruit unknown. Type
unknown.
Sandy ridges in the valley of the Rio Grande (both sides of the
river), from the mouth to Eagle Pass. Fl. from March throughout
the season.
Specimens examined: Texas (Schott of 1852): also specimens
cultivated in St. Louis in 1845 and 1861.
Dietrich's description was taken from plants collected by
Poselger at Corpus Christi. The Schott specimens are from Eagle
Pass. Dr. Engelmann calls attention to the fact that this
species approaches Coryphantha in its exserted ovary and large
flower, but the flowers are clearly from the growth of the
preceding season. The species is said to be too near the Mexican
C. longimamma of central and southern Mexico, but in the absence
of type specimens of either the question can not be settled. The
usual characterization of C. longimamma is as follows, which
seems to make it distinct enough:
36. Cactus longimamma (DC.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria longimamma DC. Rev. Cact. 113 (1829).
Ovate or at length cylindrical, simple or cespitose: tubercles
oblong-ovate, large at base, 4 to 5 cm. long: radial spines 7 or
8, radiant and equal, 8 to 10 mm. long or more, more or less
pubescent; central spines 1 to 3, somewhat longer and spreading:
flower 4 cm. long, becoming 6 cm. broad when fully expanded,
yellow. (Ill. DC. Mem. Cact. t. 5.)
II. CORYPHANTHA. Flowers from the base of a groove on young or
nascent tubercles (hence appearing terminal), mostly large:
spines never hooked (except in the doubtful C. brunneus).
* Flowers yellow.
+ The originally central flowers pushed aside by the continuous
development of new tubercles: usually a single prominent
central spine.
37. Cactus missouriensis (Sweet) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 259
(1891).
Cactus mamillaris Nutt. Gen. i. 295 (1818), not Linn. (1753).
Mamillaria missouriensis Sweet, Hort. Brit. 171 (1827).
Mamillaria simplex Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Am. i. 553 (1840).
Mamillaria nuttallii Engelm. Pl. Fendl. 49 (1849).
Mamillaria notesteinii Britton, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, xviii,
367 (1891).
Globose, 3.5 cm. in diameter, simple or nearly so: tubercles
ovate-cylindrical, 12 to 14 mm. long, slightly grooved: radial
spines 13 to 17, straight, whitish, setaceous, somewhat unequal,
8 to 10 mm. long; central spine more robust, straight and
porrect, puberulent, 10 to 12 mm. long, often wanting: flowers
about 2.5 cm. long, yellow or reddish: stigmas 2 to 5: fruit
globose, scarlet, 6 to 8 mm. in diameter: seeds globose, black
and pitted, 0.8 to 1.1 mm. in diameter. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound.
t. 74., f. 6, seeds.) Type unknown.
High prairies of the Upper Missouri, from Montana to South Dakota
and southward through western Nebraska to western Kansas and the
eastern slopes of the mountains of Colorado. Fl. May.
Specimens examined: Montana (Notestein of 1893): National Park
(Tweedy 423): South Dakota, (collector unknown, in 1847, 1848,
1853): Nebraska (Hayden of 1855).
38. Cactus missouriensis similis (Engelm.).
Mamillaria similis Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 246 (1845).
Mamillaria nuttallii caespitosa Engelm. Syn. Cact. 265 (1856).
Mamillaria missouriensis caespitosa Watson, Bibl. Index,
403 (1878).
Cespitose, with 12 to 15 puberulent radial spines, the central
very often wanting, larger flowers (2.5 to 5 cm. long), fruit and
seeds (1.6 to 2.2 mm. in diameter), and 5 stigmas. (Ill. Cact.
Mex. Bound. t. 74. f 7, seeds) Type, Lindheimer, of 1845 (?) in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From the Kansas River, Kansas, and eastern Colorado, southward
through Oklahoma to the San Antonio River, Texas.
Specimens examined: Colorado (Greene of 1870): Kansas (Carleton
551 of 1891, from Kingman County, distributed as Mamillaria
dasyacantha): Oklahoma (Carleton 120 of 1891): Texas (Lindheimer
of 1845, 1850; Wright of 1850; Reverchon 725): also specimens
cultivated in Goebel's Garden in 1846; and in St. Louis in 1846,
1847, 1851.
The cespitose masses are often a foot broad.
39. Cactus missouriensis robustior (Engelm.).
Mamillaria similis robustior Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 200 (1850).
Mamillaria nuttallii robustior Engelm. and Bigel. Pacif. R.
Rep. iv. 28 (1856).
Mamillaria missouriensis robustior Watson, Bibl. Index,
440 (1878).
Almost simple, with longer aid looser tubercles, 10 to 12 stouter
radial spines (6 to 16 mm. long), a single stout central, larger
flowers, and 7 or 8 stigmas. Type, Lindheimer of 1845 in Herb.
Mo. Bot. Gard.
From southeastern Colorado and the Canadian River (Oklahoma and
Indian Territory), to the Colorado River of Texas.
Specimens examined: Texas (Lindheimer of 1845, 1846; Bigelow of
1853): also specimens cultivated in St. Louis in 1847.
In Bigelow's specimens the central spine is mostly lacking.
40. Cactus scheerii (Muhlenpf.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria scheerii Muhlenpf. Allg. Gart. Zeit. xv. 97 (1847).
Mamillaria scheerii valida Engelm. Syn. Cact. 265 (1856).
Ovate-globose, 7.5 to 17.5 cm. high, 7.5 to 12.5 cm. in diameter,
simple or sparingly proliferous at base: tubercles large (2.5 to
3.5 cm. long), from a broad base and suddenly contracted and
almost cylindric (10 to 14 mm. in diameter), deeply grooved (1 to
5 orbicular glands in the groove), distant, spreading and
ascending, the lower ones shorter, more conical and somewhat
imbricated, with broad axils and the younger densely woolly:
radial spines 6 to 16, straight or slightly curved, stout, rigid,
bulbous at base, whitish or yellowish (sometimes reddish) with
dark tip, the 2 to 5 lower and lateral ones stouter and
compressed (18 to 30 mm. long), the 4 to 11 upper ones weaker and
terete (10 to 20 mm. long); central spines 1 to 5, stout and
angled, 20 to 36 mm. long,,mostly yellow (sometimes reddish), a
single one very stout and porrect: flowers 5 cm. long, yellow
(sometimes reddish tinged): fruit ovate or subglobose, green:
seeds large (3 mm. long), flat and obovate, red. Type unknown;
that of the old var. valida is the Wright material in Herb. Mo.
Bot. Gard.
Sandy ridges, southwestern Texas, from Eagle Pass and head of
the Limpia to El Paso, and southward into Chihuahua, Coahuila,
and San Luis Potosi; also southern Mexico (fide Hemsley). Fl.
July.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright 416, 478, of 1851, 1852; Evans
of 1891): San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891).
The var. valida was described by Dr. Engelmann without having
seen C. scheerii, the only knowledge of that species being
obtained from the description of Prince Salm-Dyck in Cact. Hort.
Dyck., which seemed to indicate a smaller form, with fewer spines
than the Texan form. However, when visiting the collections of
Prince Salm-Dyck, Dr. Engelmann found original specimens of C.
scheerii which were exactly his var. valida. So far as
collections show the Texan form seems to be more robust than the
Mexican, but the material is too scanty to justify such a
generalization. Dr. Engelmann speaks of this species as "a
stately plant, by far the largest, of the northern Mamillariae"
Its tubercles are bright green and in beautiful contrast with the
showy yellow spines.
41. Cactus robustispinus (Schott) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria robustispina Schott in Engelm. Syn. Cact. 265
(1856).
A large stout plant, simple or cespitose: tubercles large,
subterete, nearly 2.5 cm. long (and about the same distance from
each other): radial spines 12 to 15, stout and rigid, 18 to 30
mm. long, the lower ones the stouter, more dusky, straight or
often curved downwards, the upper straight and fascicled; the
solitary central spine stout, compressed, curved downwards
(occasionally an additional straighter upper one), not much
longer than the radials, the base nearly 2 mm. wide; all the
spines horny and black-tipped; flowers 3.5 to 5 cm. long with
very slender and constricted tube, saffron-yellow: fruit green
seeds large (3 to 3.2 mm, long and 2 mm. in diameter), obliquely
obovate and curved, smooth and brownish. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound.
t. 74. fig. 8, seeds) Type, Schott specimens in Herb. Mo. Bot.
Gard.
"On grassy prairies on the south side of the Babuquibari
Mountains," Sonora. Fl. July.
Specimens examined: Sonora (Schott of 1853-4).
Dr. Engelmann remarks that the seeds of this species are larger
than those of any other Mamillaria known to him.
42. Cactus recurvatus (Engelm.) Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 259 (1891).
Mamillaria recurvispina Engelm. Syn. Cact. 265 (1856), not
Vries.
Mamillaria recurvata Engelm. Trans. St. Louis Acad. ii.
202 (1863).
Globose or depressed-globose, 7.5 to 20 cm. in diameter, simple:
tubercles ovate, deeply grooved, crowded, somewhat imbricate, 10
to 12 mm. long: radial spines 12 to 20, bulbous at base,
compressed, rigid, recurved or flexuous, 8 to 18 mm. long,
whitish or horny, interwoven with adjacent clusters; central
spine solitary (sometimes an additional upper one), stouter and
longer (12 to 20 mm.), dark, mostly strongly recurved and
appressed (rarely straightish): flowers about 3.5 cm. long,
yellow (brownish-tinged outside): fruit unknown. Type, Schott
specimens in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From Sonora to southern Mexico. Fl. June-August.
Specimens examined: Sonora (Schott of 1855).
43. Cactus salm-dyckianus (Scheer) Kuntze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria salm-dyckiana Scheer in Salm, Cact. Hort. Dyck. 134
(1850).
Subglobose: tubercles very broad and retuse, almost 2-parted by
the tomentose groove, with axillary floccose wool: radial spines
7 or 8, very rigid, widely radiant, somewhat curved, 3 to 3.5 cm.
long, in older tubercles 3 to 6 additional slender and straight
or twisted spines; the solitary central spine very stout, erect,
almost 5 cm. long: flowers and fruit unknown. Type: Scheer says
that this plant, brought from Chihuahua by Potts, "unfortunately
perished," and the description was drawn from fragments, which in
those days were not apt to be preserved.
Chihuahua.
Specimens examined: Chihuahua ("Salm of 1857 ").
The specimen referred to is in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard., and reveals
no additional characters; nor can the label be interpreted,
except that it indicates that the specimen is from plants
cultivated successfully in the gardens of Prince Salm-Dyck.
++ Flower and fruit remaining central in the very woolly vertex
of the plant.
++ Central spine solitary or wanting.
44. Cactus compactus (Engelm.) Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria compacta Engelm. Wisliz. Rep. 21 (1848).
Depressed-globose, 5 to 10 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles
short-conical, crowded, 8 mm. long: radial spines 13 to 16,
rigid, recurved and appressed, interwoven with adjacent clusters,
whitish or horny, 10 to 20 mm. long; the erect central spine
often wanting: flowers 3 to 3.5 cm. long and broad, yellow
(brownish without): fruit oval, green: seeds 1.4 mm. long, smooth
and yellow. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 74. fig. 2, seeds) Type,
Wislizenus of 1846 in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Mountains of Chihuahua. Fl. June-July.
Specimens examined: Chihuahua (Wislizenus of 1846): also
specimens cultivated in St. Louis in 1848, 1850, 1854.
45. Cactus radians. (DC.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Mamillaria radians DC. Rev. Cact. 111 (1829).
Mamillaria pectinata Engelm Syn. Cact. 266 (1856).
Globose, 3.5 to 7.5 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles conical,
from a 4-angled base, lower ones short (4 to 6 mm.), upper
flower-bearing ones longer (10 to 12 mm.), terete and grooved:
radial spines 16 to 24, somewhat recurved from a bulbous
compressed base, stiff and pectinate, horny or whitish (at length
ashy), interwoven with adjacent clusters, those on lower
tubercles about equal (6 to 10 mm.), on flower-bearing tubercles
elongated, mixed with a few stouter ones and fasciculated (lower
ones 10 to 12 mm. long, upper ones 12 to 18 mm. long and forming
an apical tuft); centrals none: flowers over 5 cm. long and about
6 to 7.5 cm. in diameter when expanded, bright sulphur-yellow:
fruit ovate and green, about 12 mm. long: seeds compressed,
brownish smooth and shining, 1.8 mm. long. (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t. 11) Type unknown; that of M. pectinata Engelm. is the
Wright material in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Extending from the hills along the Lower Pecos to El Paso,
southwestern Texas, southward through Coahuila and San Luis
Potosi to southern Mexico.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright 226 of 1849, also of 1852;
Evans of 1891): Coahuila (Palmer of 1880; Mrs. Nickels): San Luis
Potosi (Parry & Palmer 265; Eschanzier of 1891): also specimens
cultivated in St. Louis in 1853; in Mo. Bot. Gard. in 1892; and
in Harv. Bot Gard.
Even in the absence of the type I have ventured to refer
Mamillaria pectinata Engelm. to this species. Dr. Engelmann had
concluded that the two were "not sufficiently distinct," and the
examination of Mexican forms which pass as C. radians abundantly
confirms this conclusion. Besides, every character in the
original description of C. radians applies exactly to these
Mexican plants and to our Texan specimens as well. Aside from
the fact that the Mexican specimens are apt to be more robust, I
can discover no difference whatever. For discussion of
relationships see under C. scolymoides.
46. Cactus radians pectenoides, var. nov.
Differs in its cespitose habit, fewer (16 or 17) and stouter
spines (8 to 9 mm. long), and its larger and longer (10 mm.) less
deeply grooved tubercles. Type in Herb. Coulter.
San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891).
47. Cactus corniferus (DC.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria cornifera DC. Rev. Cact. 111 (1829).
Mamillaria impexicoma Lem. Hort. Monov. Cult. 5 (1839).
Mamillaria cornifera impexicoma Salm. Cact. Hort. Dyck.
20 (1850).
Globose, 7.5 cm. in diameter, simple: tubercles oblong-ovate, 2
cm long, crowded, the younger axils woolly: radial spines 15 to
26, rigid and horny, curved or sometimes straight, reflexed,
bulbous at base, yellowish (whiter with age) and with dark tips,
very sharp, 10 to 12 mm, long; the central one much stouter,
darker, slightly deflexed, 12 to 16 mm long, sometimes wanting:
flower unknown: fruit obovate, red, 2 cm long: seeds reddish,
angular, smooth, 2 mm. long. Type unknown.
From San Luis Potosi to southern Mexico.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Parry of 1879; Eschanzier of
1891): also specimens cultivated in Mo. Bot. Gard. in 1892;
growing in same garden in 1893. Mamillaria impexicoma Lem.,
afterwards reduced to a variety, was based upon fewer radial
spines and no central. As the central is occasionally wanting in
connection with the most numerous radials, and present with the
fewest, such a form would have to be separated solely on the
absence of the central spine, and even in the original
description of impexicoma the central spine is only said to be
"sometimes wanting." It has been impossible for me to separate
the forms. It should be said that the fruit and seed characters
given above were taken front a specimen whose few radials and no
centrals would undoubtedly refer it to impexicoma. As yet we are
ignorant of the flower of C. corniferus. For discussion of
relationships see under C. scolymoides.
++ Central spines 1 to 4.
48. Cactus scolymoides (Scheidw.) Kuntze. Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria scolymoides Scheidw Allg. Gart. Zeit. ix. 44
(1841).
Globose or ovate, 5 to 7.5 cm. high. subsimple: tubercles
conical, 10 to 16 mm. long, the upper elongated, incurved and
imbricate: radial spines 14 to 20, straight or often recurved,
white or horny, 10 to 20 mm. long (the upper the longer); central
spines 1 to 4, longer (18 to 32 mm.), more dusky, curved, the
upper ones turned upwards and intermixed with the radials, the
lower one stouter, longer, and curved downwards: flowers 5 cm.
long: fruit unknown. Type unknown.
From the Pecos River, western Texas, westward into southern New
Mexico, and southward into Chihuahua and San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: Texas (Hays of 1858): New Mexico (Bigelow of
1853): Chihuahua (Wislizenus of 1846): also specimens cultivated
in St. Louis in 1858.
Specimens collected by Mrs. Anna B Nickels across the Rio Grande
from Laredo, Texas, and showing neither flower nor fruit, seem to
intergrade between C. scolymoides and C. scolymoides sulcatus.
The habit is that of the former, the tubercles are those of the
latter, while the spines are somewhat different from either. The
number of central spines in these specimens is very hard to
determine, as on the adult tubercle they all assume a radial
position. The usual adult arrangement is an apparent absence of
central spines; 10 to 12 rigid, spreading and more or less
recurved radials (increasing in length from the lowest), which
are mostly white or the upper more or less dusky; and above, just
behind the radial row, 2 or 3 stout recurved-ascending spines,
which are white with tips more or less reddish-black, one of the
spines usually much stouter and longer than the others. This
form may represent a distinct species, but it seems very unsafe
to add species to the C. scolymoides group without the fullest
information.
Prince Salm-Dyck refers C. scolymoides to "M. daimonoceras Lem.
Cact. gen. nov., p. 5," but no mention of such a name can be
found in the work referred to. Labouret refers C. corniferus to
the same name and reference. If "M. daimonoceras" was anything
more than a garden or herbarium name used by Lemaire I have been
unable to find it, and Dr. Engelmann's notes indicate that his
search met with the same result. It is possible that the name
was applied loosely to this assemblage of closely related forms
that seem to cluster about C. corniferus.
A most perplexing question of relationship is presented by the
forms that have been called pectinatus, scolymoides, sulcatus
(calcaratus), Echinus, and the Mexican forms radians,
impexicomus, corniferus. It may be that they are all merely
varieties of one strong polymorphic type, but our knowledge of
corniferus is so incomplete, and material of other forms is so
scanty, that I can not venture to make such an assertion.
However, it seems probable that radians, pectinatus, scolymoides,
sulcatus and Echinus all have green fruit, while in impexicomus
and corniferus it is red. It has also seemed proper to merge
radians and pectinatus, also impexicomus and corniferus, and to
refer sulcatus to scolymoides as a variety. These seven forms
are thus reduced at least to four species.
49. Cactus scolymoides sulcatus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria sulcata Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 246 (1845), not Pfeiff.
(1848).
Mamillaria strobiliformis Muhlenpf. Allg. Gart. Zeit. xvi. 19
(1848), not Scheer (1850).
Mamillaria calcarata Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 195 (1850).
Cactus calcaratus Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 259 (1891).
Differs in its smaller size; proliferous and much more cespitose
habit, the dilated base of the more spreading tubercles, fewer (8
to 12) radial spines, usually a single central spine (wanting in
young plants) and somewhat larger flowers. (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t. 74. fig. 1, seeds) Type, Lindheimer of 1844 in Herb.
Mo. Bot. Gard.
Texas, from the Brazos to the Nueces.
Specimens examined: Texas (Lindheimer of 1844; Fendler 34; Wright
of 1850, 1854, 1857): also specimens cultivated in St. Louis in
1845, 1848, 1853, 1859.
This seems to represent the northeastern extension of the
species, and doubtless it will be found merging into it south and
west of the Nueces. Curiously enough one of the prominent
distinctions originally given was the single central spine, while
in the type specimen there occur tubercles with more than one
central.
50. Cactus echinus (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria echinus Engelm. Syn. Cact. 267 (1856).
Globose or subconical, 3.5 to 6.5 cm. in diameter, simple:
tubercles terete, conical, grooved above, 10 to 12 mm. long:
radial spines 16 to 30, pectinate, straight or little curved,
rigid and appressed (interwoven with neighboring clusters),
ashy-white (often dusky at apex), 8 to 12 mm. long, the uppermost
longer (12 to 20 mm.); central spines 3 or 4, the upper ones
turned upward and intermixed with the radials, the lower one very
stout, 15 mm. long, subulate from a very thick bulbous base,
straight (rarely slightly curved) and porrect (deciduous in old
specimens): flowers 3 to 5 cm. long: fruit oval, elongated, about
2 cm. long, green: seeds elongated-obovate. brown and smooth,
about 1.8 mm. long. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 10) Type, the
Wright and Bigelow specimens in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
On limestone hills, from the Pecos River, southwestern Texas, and
southern New Mexico, westward to the Rio Grande (from Presidio
del Norte northward). Fl. June.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1849, 1851, 1852; Bigelow of
1852; Engelmann, with no number or date; Evans of 1891).
The characteristic appearance of the plant is given by the very
stout and straight central spine standing in each cluster
perpendicular to the plant body. The range of this species,
between the Pecos and the upper Rio Grande, suggests another
separated group, such as is presented by C. scolymoides sulcatus
to the east, between the Brazos and Nueces. Very frequently
specimens of C. echinus occur in which some of the tubercles do
not develop central spines, and then the spine characters
resemble those of C. radians. In C. radians, also, an occasional
porrect central spine is found. These intergrading forms I have
only seen in Mexican material. For discussion of relationships
see under C. scolymoides.
** Flowers red.
+ Central spine solitary or sometimes wanting.
51. Cactus dasyacanthus (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 259
(1891).
Mamillaria dasyacantha Engelm. Syn. Cact. 268 (1856).
Subglobose, 3.5 to 6.5 cm. high, simple: tubercles slender and
terete, spreading, lightly grooved even to the base, 8 to 10 mm,
long: radial spines 30 to 50, mostly in two series, straight and
loosely spreading, the exterior ones (25 to 35) capillary and
white, 6 to 18 mm. long, the interior ones (7 to 13) stiffer
(setaceous), longer and darker and black-tipped; the central
spine straight and porrect, 12 to 20 mm. long, often wanting:
flowers small, red: fruit ovate, small (8 to 10 mm. long?): seeds
globose-angled, almost black, pitted, 0.8 to 1.2 mm. long (Ill.
Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 12. figs. 17-22) Type, Wright 110 in Herb.
Mo. Bot Gard.
From Eagle Pass, Texas, westward to El Paso and southern New
Mexico, and southward into Chihuahua.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright 110 of 1852): New Mexico (Vasey
of 1881; Mearns of 1892, in Big Hatchet Mountains) Chihuahua
(Pringle 251 of 1885, in part).
Pringle 251 as distributed to Nat. Herb. is C. tuberculosus.
52. Cactus maculatus, sp. nov.
Obovate-cylindrical, 6 by 8 cm., somewhat cespitose: tubercles
ovate, terete, 10 mm. long, grooved to the base, with naked
axils: radial spines 10 or 11, straight and spreading, rigid,
blackish (becoming ashy with age), black-tipped, 12 mm. long;
central spine large, more or less spotted, erect, 25 to 35 mm.
long: flower 13 mm. long, pinkish: fruit unknown. Type in Herb.
Coulter.
San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891).
Somewhat resembles C. tuberculosus in general appearance, but
very different in spine characters.
53. Cactus brunneus, sp. nov.
Obovate-cylindrical, 3 by 6 cm., simple: tubercles ovate, grooved
to the base, 5 to 6 mm. long, with woolly axils: radial spines 11
to 15, spreading, rather rigid and brownish (lighter with age), 8
to 10 mm. long; central spine much larger, 20 mm, long, hooked:
flower and fruit unknown. Type in Herb. Coulter.
San Luis Potosi.
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891).
++ Central spines 3 to 12.
54. Cactus conoideus (DC.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria conoidea DC. Rev. Cact. 112 (1829).
Mamillaria strobiliformis Engelm. Wisliz. Rep. 113 (1848), not
Scheer (1850).
Ovate-conical, 3.5 to 10 cm. high, 4 to 7 cm. in diameter below,
with densely woolly vertex, simple: tubercles conical, about 12
mm, long, closely appressed-imbricate ("giving the plant the
appearance of a pineapple or cone"): radial spines 10 to 16, ashy
to white, straight and stout, 6 to 10 mm. long, the upper longer
(10 to 15 mm.); central spines 3 to 5, stouter, brownish-black,
10 to 16 mm. long, the two or three smaller ones erect-spreading,
the single lower one more rigid, porrect or deflexed, 15 to 20
mm. long: flowers 2 to 3 cm long and wide, deep purple: fruit
unknown. (Ill. DC. Mem. Cact. t. 2) Type unknown.
On rocks, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon to San Luis Potosi and southern
Mexico.
Specimens examined: Coahuila (Palmer 378 of 1882; Pringle 3117 of
1890): Nuevo Leon (Wislizenus of 1847): San Luis Potosi (Poselger
of 1851; Eschanzier of 1891).
55. Cactus potsii (Scheer) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Mamillaria potsii Scheer in Salm Cact. Hort. Dyck. 104 (1850).
Cylindrical, 30 to 35 cm. high, 2.5 to 3 cm. in diameter,
somewhat branching: tubercles ovate, obtuse, very lightly
sulcate, with somewhat woolly axils: radial spines very numerous
(entirely covering the whole plant), slender and white; central
spines 6 to 12, stouter from a broad base: flowers large, green,
or reddish: fruit red. Type unknown.
From the Rio Grande region, near Laredo, Texas, to Chihuahua.
Specimens examined: Texas (Poselger of 1851): Chihuahua
(specimens from Coll. Salm-Dyck.).
56. Cactus tuberculosus (Engelm.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261
(1891).
Mamillaria strobiliformis Scheer in Salm Cact. Hort. Dyck. 104
(1850), not Muhlenpf. (1848), nor Engelm. (1848).
Mamillaria tuberculosa Engelm. Syn. Cact. 268 (1856).
Ovate to cylindrical, 5 to 15 cm. high, 2.5 to 5 cm. in diameter,
simple or branching at base: tubercles short-ovate from a broad
base, 5 to 6 mm. long, deeply grooved, crowded and imbricate, at
length covering the older parts as naked and gray corky
protuberances: radial spines 20 to 30, slender but stiff, white,
radiant and interwoven with adjacent clusters, 4 to 8 mm. long
(uppermost rarely 10 to 12 mm.); central spines 5 to 9, stouter,
purplish above, the upper ones longer, erect, 10 to 14 mm. long
(sometimes even 16 to 18 mm.), the lower one shorter (6 to 8
mm.), stout, porrect or deflexed: flowers about 2.5 cm. in
diameter, pale purple: fruit oval, elongated (sometimes almost
cylindric), red, about 18 mm. long: seeds subglobose, brown and
pitted, very small (0.8 to 1.2 mm. long). (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t. 12. figs. 1-16) Type of Scheer's strobiliformis is
unknown; but the specimens of Prince Salm-Dyck in Herb. Mo. Bot.
Gard. are marked "authentic" by Dr. Engelmann. The Wright
specimens in the same Herb, represent the type of M tuberculosa
Engelm.
From the mountains of extreme southwestern Texas (common west of
Devil's River), southward into Chihuahua and Coahuila. Fl.
May-June.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 29,
30,31,32, 535, of 1849 and 1852; Bigelow of 1852; Engelmann, with
no number or date; Evans of 1891): Chihuahua (Pringle 250, 251 in
part, and 258 of 1885): Coahuila (Palmer of 1880): also specimens
from Coll. Salm. Dyck in 1857; also growing in Mo Bot. Gard. 1893
(specimens, sent by G. G. Briggs in 1892 from El Paso, Texas.
The identification of Engelmann's tuberculosa with Scheer's
strobiliformis was made by Dr. Engelmann himself upon an
examination of Scheer's type. The use of the specific name
tuberculosa is necessitated by the law of homonyms, as
strobiliformis had been used twice already before it was taken up
by Scheer. M. strobiliformis Muhlenpf. is C. scolymoides
sulcatus; and M. strobiliformis Engelm. is C. conoideus.
57. Cactus viviparus Nutt. in Fraser's Cat. (1813).
Mamillaria vivipara Haw. Syn. Succ. Suppl. 72 (1819).
Low and depressed-globose, usually proliferous and cespitose
(forming large masses), but sometimes simple: tubercles terete
and loose, lightly grooved: radial spines 12 to 20, stiff and
white, often dark-tipped, 6 to 8 mm. long; central spines usually
4 (sometimes less, often more, even as many as 8), brownish, 8 to
12 mm. long, 3 spreading upwards, the lowest stouter and shorter
and deflexed: flowers about 3.5 cm. long (large for the size of
the plant) and even broader when expanded, bright purple: stigmas
pointed with a short mucro: fruit oval, pale green, juicy, 12 to
18 mm. long: seeds yellowish-brown, obliquely obovate and curved
about the small hilum, 1.4 to 1.6 mm. long). (Ill. Cact. Mex.
Bound. t. 74. fig. 3, seeds) Type unknown.
On the northwestern plains, from the boundary provinces of
British America (western Manitoba, Assiniboia and Alberta), and
throughout the Upper Missouri region, southward through western
Nebraska to western Kansas and to the eastern foothills of
central Colorado. It is also mentioned by Howell (Cat. of
Oregon, Washington and Idaho plants), as occurring beyond the
Rocky Mountain divide in Idaho and Washington, which is probable,
but no specimens have been seen.
Specimens examined: Montana (Hayden, nos. 1854, 1855; Vernon
Bailey of 1890, near Bridger): Colorado (Hayden of 1869):
Nebraska (Rydberg 1379 of 1893, Thomas Co.): also specimens
cultivated in St. Louis in 1869; also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard.
1893.
It seems best to keep this northwestern form specifically
separate from that large assemblage of southern forms that have
been commonly referred to it. The forms referred to this species
from western Kansas (Smyth's check list) have not been examined,
and they may represent intermediate forms, inclining to simple
habit and ovate form, as in the Colorado forms. The southern
type (C. radiosus) is distinguished from C. viviparus not only by
its very different range, but also by its ovate to cylindrical
form, simple habit, more numerous (12 to 40) and longer (6 to 22
mm.) radial spines, usually more numerous (3 to 14) central
spines in which the upper are more robust than the lower, porrect
lower central, obtuse stigmas, and brown obovate straight seeds.
58. Cactus radiosus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria vivipara Engelm. Pl. Fendl. 49 (1849), not Haw.
(1819).
Mamillaria radiosa Engelm. Pl. Lindh. 196 (1850).
Mamillaria vivipara radiosa texana Engelm. Syn. Cact. 269
(1856).
Ovate or cylindrical, 5 to 12.5 cm. high and about 5 cm. in
diameter, simple or sparingly proliferous: tubercles terete, more
or less grooved above, 8 to 12 mm. long: radial spines 20 to 30,
straight, slender, with with dusky apex, very unequal, 6 to 8 mm
long; central spines 4 or 5, stouter, yellowish or tawny, 8 to 12
mm. long, the upper ones the longer and more robust, the lowest
one shorter and porrect: flowers 3.5 to 5.5 cm. long, about the
same diameter when fully open, violet to dark purple: stigmas 7
to 9, obtuse: fruit oval and green: seeds yellowish or brown,
obovate, pitted, fully 2 mm, long. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t.
74, fig.5, seeds) Type, Lindheimer of 1846 in Herb. Mo. Bot.
Gard.
Extending across southern Texas, from the Guadalupe to El Paso.
thence into contiguous New Mexico and across the Rio Grande near
Juarez (northern Chihuahua). Fl. May-June.
Specimens examined: Texas (Lindheimer of 1846): New Mexico
(Bigelow of 1855): Chihuahua, near Juarez (Evans of 1891): also
specimens cultivated from the type in St. Louis in 1846.
Attention has been called under C. viviparus to the characters
that distinguish from C. radiosus The characters there given for
the latter species apply to to the whole group of included forms.
The type of the species is the var. Texana of Engelmann's Syn.
Cact. and Mex. Bound., which is characterized in the above.
description.
59. Cactus radiosus neo-mexicanus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria vivipara radiosa neo-mexicana Engelm. Syn. Cact.
269 (1856).
Generally lower (3.5 to 10 cm.) and subglobose to ovate or even
sub-cylindrical, branching at base or simple, with more numerous
(12 to 40) radial spines, more numerous (3 to 12) and purplish
centrals, and smaller seeds. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 74. fig.
4, seeds) Type, presumably the Wright, Bigelow, and Schott
specimens from western Texas, New Mexico, and Sonora, all in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From southern Utah, central Colorado, and western Kansas,
southward through western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona into
Chihuahua and Sonora.
Specimens examined: Kansas (Carleton 530 of 1891, in Meade
County): Oklahoma (Carleton 233 of 1891): Colorado (Hall and
Harbour of 1862; Brandegee 645 of 1873; Hicks of 1890): Utah
(Siler of 1870): New Mexico (Wislizenus of 1846; Fendler 244,
271, of 1847: Wright 298; Bigelow of 1853; G. R. Vasey of 1881):
Texas (Wright of 1849, 1851, 1852; Bigelow of 1853): Arizona
(Rothrock, with no number or date): Sonora (Schott of 1855):
Chihuahua (Evans of 1891, near Juarez).
It is through this variety that C. radiosus approaches most
nearly to C. viviparus, in the forms with few radials and
centrals, but the specific characters seem to hold. This is the
Mamillaria vivipara of the Syn Fl. Colorado (Porter and Coulter).
60. Cactus radiosus arizonicus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria arizonica Engelm Bot. Calif. i. 244 (1876).
A robust globose or ovate simple form (7.5 to 10 cm. in
diameter), with long (12 to 25 mm.) deeply-grooved tubercles, 15
to 20 long (10 to 30 mm.) rigid whitish radial spines, and 3 to 6
centrals deep brown above. Type, the specimens of Cous, Palmer,
Bischoff and Johnson, all in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Sandy and rocky soil from southern Utah through northern and
western Arizona to southern California.
Specimens examined: Arizona (Cous of 1865; Cous & Palmer of 1865
and 1872; Palmer of 1869; Bischoff of 1871; Miller of 1881; Rusby
617 of 1853; Pringle of 1884): Utah (Johnson of 1871, 1872, 1874;
Parry of 1875, 1877): California (Parish of 1880): also specimens
cultivated in Mo. Bot. Gard. in 1881; and in Meehan's Gard. in
1882.
61. Cactus radiosus deserti (Engelm.).
Mamillaria deserti Engelm. Bot. Calif. ii. 449 (1880).
Subglobose or oval (5 to 10 cm. high) and simple, with deeply
grooved tubercles (slender and about 12 mm. long), 25 to 30
rather long (10 to 16 mm.) grayish white radial spines (the
larger with reddish tips), 3 or 4 shorter and stouter centrals
with 5 or 6 intermediate ones above, small (2.5 cm. long)
straw-colored flowers (becoming purplish-tipped), 5 or 6 stigmas,
and obliquely obovate curved seeds. Type, Parish 433 in Herb.
Mo. Bot. Gard.
In the mountains bordering the deserts of southeastern California
(San Bernardino County) and extending to central Nevada (Reese
River Valley).
Specimens examined: California (Parish 453 of 1880, also of 1882;
Bailey of 1890): Nevada, Lincoln County (Coville & Funston of
1891, Death Valley Expedition): also specimens cultivated in
Meehan's Gard. in 1882.
The smaller straw-colored flowers alone suggest the propriety of
keeping this form specifically distinct, but even in size and
color there is an occasional tendency toward the specific
character. The obliquely obovate curved seeds resemble those of
C. viviparus. The plant densely covered with stout ashy-gray
interlocking spines is easily recognized.
62. Cactus radiosus chloranthus (Engelm.).
Mamillaria chlorantha Engelm. Wheeler's Rep. 127 (1878).
Oval to cylindrical (7.5 cm. in diameter, sometimes 20 to 22.5
cm. high), with 20 to 25 gray radial spines almost in two series,
6 to 9 stouter reddish or brownish-tipped centrals (12 to 25 mm.
long), and yellowish or greenish-yellow flowers 3.5 cm. long and
wide. Type: Southern Utah specimens of both Parry and Johnson
occur in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard., but they are all referred to C.
radiosus arizonicus, and I can find no trace of any specimens of
C. radiosus chloranthus in the Engelmann collection.
Southern Utah, east of St. George (Parry; Johnson).
The plant is evidently near C. radiosus deserti, of which variety
it seems to be the Utah representative, but in the absence not
only of the type, but even of authentic specimens, the two are
kept separate, a thing fully justified by the description.
63. Cactus radiosus alversoni, var. nov.
Differs from var. deserti in its more robust and branching habit
(becoming 12.5 cm. tall and 10 cm. in diameter), shorter and
thicker tubercles, more numerous (12 to 14 centrals) stouter and
longer (12 to 22 mm.) spines, all of which are black-tipped (the
centrals black half way down, shading into red), and pink
flowers. Type, Alverson's specimens in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. and
in Herb. Coulter.
In the desert region of extreme southeastern California.
Specimens examined: Southern California (A. H. Alverson of 1892):
also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
The covering of stout bushy interlocking spines is like that of
var. deserti, but the black and reddish coloration gives a
decidedly different appearance. On account of this appearance of
a reddish-black brush the plant has been popularly called
"foxtail cactus." The decidedly pink flowers were sent by Mr. S.
B. Parish from specimens growing in cultivation in San Diego, and
are not from the original collection of Mr. Alverson.
64. Cactus macromeris (Engelm.) Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 260 (1891).
Mamillaria macromeris Engelm. Wisliz. Rep. 13 (1848).
Mamillaria heteromorpha Scheer in Salm. Cact. Hort. Dyck. 128
(1850).
Mamillaria dactylithele Labouret, Monogr. Cact. 146 (1858).
Ovate or cylindrical, 5 to 10 cm. high, simple or branching from
the base and at length cespitose: tubercles large, loose and
spreading, from a dilated base, more or less elongated (12 to 30
mm.) and teretish (often incurved), the groove absent in young
plants and never reaching the axil: radial spines 10 to 17,
slender and terete, or stouter and often angled, spreading, 12 to
40 mm. long, whitish (or more or less rose-colored when young),
straight or a little curved; central spines 4 (or fewer in young
plants or even wanting), spreading, 25 to 55 mm. long, stouter,
bulbous at base, mostly black (the lowest the longest and
stoutest), straight or sometimes curved or twisted: flowers 6 to
7.5 cm. long and of same diameter, deep red to purple: fruit
ovate-subglobose, green, 15 to 25 mm, long: seeds
globose-obovate, yellow, and smooth. 1.2 to 1.6 mm. long. (Ill.
Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 14 and 15) Type, Wislizenus of 1846 in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Mostly in loose sand, in the valley of the Rio Grande (on both
sides of the river), from southern New Mexico to Eagle Pass,
Texas, and doubtless further down.
Specimens examined: New Mexico (Wislizenus of 1846; Wright 384,
531, of 1852; G. R. Vasey of 1881): Texas (Wright of 1850, 1851,
1852; Bigelow of 1852): Chihuahua (Evans of 1891; Budd of 1891):
also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
This species shows an interesting transition from Coryphantha to
Echinocactus. The woolly groove of the Coryphantha extends from
the spine-bearing areola to the axil of the tubercle, where it
expands into the flower-bearing areola. In C. macromeris the
groove extends only about half way down the tubercle and gives
origin to the flower-bearing areola on the side of the tubercle;
while in Echinocactus the flower-bearing areola becomes adjacent
to the spine-bearing areola and the flower appears at the summit
of the tubercle.
ARTIFICIAL KEY TO THE SPECIES.
It seems impossible to make a simple artificial key that will
serve as a useful guide to each individual species and variety.
Our knowledge of so many of the species is imperfect, that no set
of characters can be applied throughout. However, as no plants
are collected in such fragmentary condition, it will be useful to
construct a key based upon such characters as are always likely
to be present, even if specific distinctions are not always
reached. In many cases, species are so closely and differently
related to each other that the complete descriptions will have to
be consulted to determine the differences, and in such cases the
artificial key can only indicate the group. Even the full
descriptions are very compact, all characters not necessary for
discrimination having been eliminated. No attempt need be made
to determine any species by means of the flowers alone. In most
cases more or less of the plant body will be available,
presenting spine and tubercle characters, and these are used in
the following key. The distinction between Eumamillaria and
Coryphantha, on the basis of grooveless and grooved tubercles
should always be made out easily. It may be useful to suggest as
a caution, however, that often tubercles in drying develop folds
which simulate grooves, and especially is this true in
quadrangular tubercles. In such cases it is necessary to restore
the original plumpness of the tubercle by boiling, before the
presence or absence of the groove can be definitely determined.
The species and varieties are indicated only by their specific or
varietal names in the following key, and the numbers refer to the
serial numbers of the synoptical presentation. Forms occurring
within the United States are marked with an "*":
I. Tubercles never grooved.
* Central spines none.
Radials 5 to 9, stout.
meiacanthus* (7).
Radials 20 to 40.
micromeris* (12), greggii (13).
Radials 40 to 80.
lasiacanthus* (10), denudatus* (11).
** Central spine solitary and not hooked.
+ Central spine longer than the radials.
Radials 7 or 8: tubercles very long (40 to 50 mm.).
longimamma (36).
Radials 15 to 20: tubercles 6 to 8 mm. long.
eschanzieri (21).
++ Central spine shorter than the radials.
Radials 5 to 9, stout.
meiacanthus* (7).
Radials 9 to 22.
heyderi* (5), hemisphaericus* (6), gummiferus (8), gabbii
(34),
sphaericus (35).
*** Central spine solitary and hooked.
+ Stems slender cylindric: Lower Californian.
Centrals 1, 20 to 30 mm. long.
roseanus (23).
Centrals 1 to 4, 20 to 50 mm. long.
setispinus (24).
++ Stems depressed-globose to ovate.
Radials 4 to 6, rigid.
uncinatus (9).
Radials 8 to 12.
wrightii* (15).
Radials 15 to 30.
grahami* (19), eschanzieri (21).
Radials 50 to 60.
barbatus (18).
**** Central spines more than one, and none of them hooked.
+ Slender or sometimes stout cylindrical plants, branching at
base: Lower Californian.
brandegei (3), setispinus (24), halei (25).
++ Depressed-globose to ovate and stout cylindrical.
++ Radials few (3 to 12) and rigid: Mexican.
Radials 3: centrals 3.
alternatus (1)
Radials 7 or 8: tubercles 40 to 50 mm. long.
longimamma (36).
Radials 10 to 12: tubercles 12 to 15 mm. long.
gummiferus (8).
++++ Radials numerous (16 to 60), capillary or bristle-like.
Radials 15 to 30, slender but rigid (bristly).
acanthophlegmus(2), densispinus (4), bispinus (14),
rhodanthus (26), sulphureospinus (27), palmeri (29),
pringlei (32).
Radials 30 to 60 or more, mostly capillary.
tetrancistrus* (22), capillaris (28), texanus* (31),
spaerotrichus (33).
***** Central spines more than one and but one of them hooked.
Radials 10 to 15.
goodrichii* (16), setispinus (24).
Radials 15 to 30.
pondii (17), grahami* (19), bocasanus (20).
Radials 30 to 60.
tetrancistrus (22).
****** Central spines more than one, and more then one of them
hooked.
Radials 8 to 12.
wrightii* (15).
Radials 30 to 60.
tetrancistrus (22).
II. Tubercles with a more or less prominent groove.
* Central spines none.
+ Radials whitish and rigid, oppressed (pectinate) and
interwoven with adjacent clusters.
Depressed-globose and simple.
compactus (44).
Globose and simple.
radians* (45), corniferus (47).
Cespitose.
pectenoides (46), sulcatus* (49).
++ Radials more slender and spreading.
Radials 10 to 17.
missouriensis* (37), similis* (38), macromeris* (64).
Radials 30 to 50, capillary.
dasyacanthus* (51).
** Central spine solitary, not hooked.
+ Central spine porrect.
Radials 6 to 17.
missouriensis* (37), robustior* (39), scheerii* (40).
Radials 30 to 50, white and capillary.
dasyacanthus* (51).
++ Central spine curved downwards.
Radials 8 to 12.
sulcatus* (49).
Radials 12 to 26.
robustispinus (41), recurvatus (42), corniferus (47),
scolymoides* (48).
+++ Central spine erect: Mexican.
Radials 7 or 8: central 50 mm. long.
salm-dyckianus (43).
Radials 10 or 11: central 25 to 35 mm. long.
maculatus (52).
Radials 13 to 16.
compactus (44).
*** Central spine solitary and hooked.
brunneus (53).
**** Central spines more than one and none of them hooked.
Centrals 2: radials 6 to 20.
scheerii* (40), robustispinus (41), recurvatus (42),
scolymoides* (48).
Centrals 3: radials 6 to 40.
scheerii* (40), scolymoides* (48), echinus* (50),
conoideus (54), neo-mexicanus* (59), arizonicus* (60).
Centrals 4 or 5: radials 6 to 40.
scheerii* (40), scolymoides* (48), echinus* (50),
conoideus (54), tuberculosus* (56), viviparus* (57),
radiosus* (58), neo-mexicanus* (59). arizonicus* (60),
macromeris* (64).
Centrals 6 or 7: radials 12 to 40.
potsii* (55), tuberculosus*(56), viviparus* (57),
neo-mexicanus* (59), arizonicus* (60), chloranthus (62).
Centrals 8 to 14: radials 12 to 40 or more.
potsii* (55), tuberculosus* (56), viviparus* (57),
neo-mexicanus* (59), deserti* (61), chloranthus* (62),
alversoni* (63).
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
It is only possible to deal with the forms that occur within the
borders of the United States, as even individual stations of
common Mexican forms are little if at all known. These United
States forms represent a northern extension of an abundant
Mexican display. The group EUMAMILLARIA, containing twelve of
the thirty-one forms defined as occurring north of the Rio
Grande, makes the feeblest extension northward, at no place being
found far from the boundary, and all the twelve are Mexican forms
which extend but slightly into the United States. Only five of
the forms are found east of the Pecos: heyderi, the most widely
distributed EUMAMILLARIA, extending from the southeastern border
of Texas westward along the whole Mexican boundary except in
California; hemisphaericus, extending through southern Texas and
southern New Mexico; meiacanthus, also along the Mexican border
of Texas and New Mexico; texanus, a low ground form of the Rio
Grande Valley, extending from the mouth of the river to El Paso,
and suggesting a connection with the West Indian stellatus; and
sphaericus, another low ground valley form of similar range, but
apparently only extending up the Rio Grande to the region of
Eagle Pass.
The Pecos forms the eastern boundary of five other EUMAMILLARIA
forms: micromeris, extending northward from Coahuila and
Chihuahua, apparently only in the mountains between the Pecos and
El Paso; wrightii, of similar narrow northward extension, but
ranging further northward on the high plains of the Upper Pecos
in New Mexico; denudatus, also with a narrow northward extension
west of the Pecos; lasiacanthus, extending from Chihuahua with a
northern limit between the Pecos and Arizona; and grahami, a
Sonoran type which has spread between the Pecos and southeastern
California.
The ten preceding forms have evidently entered our borders from
the highlands of Sonora and Chihuahua, with the exception of the
Rio Grande Valley forms, texanus and sphaericus. Another
species, tetrancistrus, is also a Sonoran type which has reached
the eastern slopes of the mountains of southeastern California,
and extended through western Arizona to southern Nevada and
southern Utah, the most extended northern range of any
EUMAMILLARIA. The twelfth form, goodrichii, is Lower
Californian, and extends into California only in San Diego
County. A summarized statement of the distribution of our twelve
EUMAMILLARIA would be that two of them have extended from the low
grounds of Coahuila and Chihuahua and spread along the valley of
the Rio Grande; nine have come from the high grounds of Chihuahua
and Sonora, four of which have extended eastward to the low
levels of southeastern Texas; four have kept to the highlands
west of the Pecos, and one has kept to the Colorado Valley and
its tributaries, while one has a short northern extension from
Lower California.
The nineteen forms of CORYPHANTHA are decidedly more northern in
their distribution, and are our characteristic representatives of
the genus Cactus. Ten of these, however, are but northern
extensions of Mexican forms, and six of the ten have simply that
tongue-like northern extension in the mountains between the Pecos
and the Upper Rio Grande (above. El Paso), viz.: dasyacanthus,
tuberculosus, scheerii (which has also spread somewhat east of
the Pecos), and the three pectinate and closely related forms
radians, echinus, and scolymoides. Of the four remaining Mexican
forms, macromeris is a low ground Rio Grande Valley form,
extending from above El Paso well towards the Lower Rio Grande;
potsii just crosses the border in the neighborhood of Laredo; and
radiosus and neo-mexicanus have by far the greatest northern
extension, stretching from Sonora and Chihuahua to southern Utah
and central Colorado, and eastward to the Guadalupe River of
Texas.
The nine remaining coryphanths are distinctly forms of the United
States, occupying two well-marked regions, viz.: the northern
plains, and the desert region of western Arizona and adjacent
California, Nevada, and Utah. In the former region is found the
widespread viviparus, which extends from the southern borders of
British America to the plains of eastern Colorado and western
Kansas, and even crosses the Rocky Mountain divide into northern
Idaho and northeastern Washington; and missouriensis, which also
ranges from the high prairies of the Upper Missouri to the same
southern limit, and is continued southward into Texas in its
varieties similis and robustior.
In the Arizona desert region, four distinct but closely allied
forms have become differentiated from the strong radiosus stock,
viz.: arizonicus, deserti, alversoni, and chloranthus, all of
which might be regarded as distinct species. In southeastern
Texas is found an isolated form, sulcatus, occurring between the
Brazos and Nueces rivers. That viviparus must be regarded as a
strong northern extension of the radiosus stock can not be
doubted, as the low depressed cespitose northern form seems to
merge southward so gradually into the simple more robust ovate to
cylindrical forms of radiosus as to suggest the propriety of
regarding them all as specifically identical.
The result of a closer inspection of the distribution of these
nearly related forms is worthy of note. C. viviparus extends
from British America and the Upper Missouri to eastern Colorado
and western Kansas; neo-mexicanus (the form most nearly related
to viviparus) extends from central Colorado and southern Utah
into Mexico; at the southeastern edge of this range begins
radiosus and extends eastward through southern Texas; from the
western edge of neo-mexicanus the form arizonicus extends
westward into southern California, touching chloranthus at its
Utah limit, and at its California extension reaching alversoni
and deserti, the latter of which extends northward into the
desert region of southeastern California and adjacent Nevada.
Taking this type as of Mexican origin, it seems to have entered
the United States from Sonora and Chihuahua, and to have spread
in three directions, viz.: eastward through southern Texas;
westward and northwestward into southern California and southern,
Utah; and northward to the head waters of the Missouri and
British America, though we would limit the northern extension of
the present specific type to central Colorado, and would regard
the still more northern forms as of the same origin but entitled
to specific rank.
2. ANHALONIUM Lem. Cact. Gen. Nov. (1839).
Depressed or flattened, simple, unarmed plants, covered with
peculiar imbricated tubercles above and their scale-like remains
below: tubercle with lower and upper parts very different; lower
part comparatively thin and flat; upper exposed part triangular
in outline and divergent, very thick and hard, the lower surface
smooth and keeled, the upper surface plane or convex, smooth or
tuberculate or variously fissured, with a broad wool-bearing
groove or simply a more or less evident tomentulose apical
areola: spine-bearing areola obsolete: flower-bearing areola at
the summit of the lower peduncle-like portion of the very young
tubercle (thus appearing axillary with reference to the exposed
part of the tubercle) and bearing a dense penicellate tuft of
long soft hairs which conceals the lower part of the flower and
the entire fruit and persists about the apical region of the
plant as matted and apparently axillary wool: ovary naked: seeds
large, black, and tuberculate: embryo obovate, straight.
According to the present views concerning generic limitations in
Cactaceae, Anhalonium must certainly be kept distinct from
Mamillaria, and to such a view Dr. Engelmann had finally come.
The generic distinction is based upon such characters as (1) the
complete suppression of the spine-bearing areolae; (2) the strong
differentiation of the tubercles into two very distinct regions;
(3) the production of the flower at the apex of the basal or
penduncle-like portion (which becomes flattened and expanded at
maturity) of a very young tubercle; and (4) the large tuberculate
seeds.
In the case of engelmanni the broad woolly groove of the upper
portion of the tubercle expands below into the flower-bearing
areola, but terminates blindly above just behind the sharp apex.
In prismaticum and furfuraceum the groove is obliterated, but
there usually remains a small (more or less tufted) areola and
depression just behind the apex to mark its upper extremity.
This apical areola therefore, does not represent a spine-bearing
areola, but the closed upper extremity of a tubercle groove.
It seems evident that Anhalonium is a much modified Cactus, and
that its affinity is with the coryphanths, through such a species
as C. macromeris, in which the flower becomes extra-axillary. If
in macromeris, with the flower standing well up on the tubercle,
the portions of the tubercle above and below the flower should
become very different from each other, the upper portion being so
much modified as to cause the spine-bearing areola to be
obliterated, the condition of things in Anhalonium would be
obtained.
* Upper surface of tubercle with a broad and deep wool-bearing
longitudinal groove which widens below.
1. Anhalonium engelmanni Lem. Cact 42 (1839).
Mamillaria fissurata Engelm. Syn. Cact. 270 (1856).
Anhalonium fissuratum Engelm. Bot. Mex. Bound. 75 (1859).
Depressed globose or flat, top-shaped below and tapering into a
thick root, 5 to 12 cm. in diameter: tubercles (upper portion)
appressed-imbricate, 12 to 18 mm. long and about as wide at base,
the upper surface convex and variously fissured (presenting an
irregular warty appearance) even to the edges: flowers apparently
central, about 2.5 cm. long and broad, shading from whitish to
rose: fruit oval, pale green, about 10 mm. long: seeds 1.6 mm.
long. (Ill. Bot. Mex. Bound. t. 16) Type unknown; but specimens
of Wright, Bigelow, and Parry in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. are the
basis of Engelmann's Mamillaria fissurata.
On limestone hills, in the "Great Bend" region of the Rio Grande
in Texas, and southward into Coahuila. Fl. September-October.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1850; Bigelow of 1852;
Parry, with no number or date; Lloyd of 1890; Evans of 1891;
Briggs of 1892): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
This species is very closely related to the Mexican A. kotchubeyi
Lem. (A. sulcatum Salm-Dyck), but unfortunately no type of that
species seems to be in existence, and Dr. Engelmann notes (Mex.
Bound. Rep. 75) that "it seems no living or dead specimen is at
present extant in Europe." Judging from the description, the
upper surface of the tubercles in A. kotchubeyi, aside from the
central furrow, is smooth; at least the margin is "very entire."
** Upper surface of tubercle not grooved, but usually with a
tomentose pulvillus at the tip.
2. Anhalonium prismaticum Lem. Cact. 1 (1839).
Mamillaria prismatica Lem. Hort. Univ. i. 231 (1839).
Cactus prismaticus Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Flat above, top-shaped below, 7.5 to 12.5 cm. in diameter:
tubercles (upper portion) close]y imbricate but squarrose-
spreading, sharply triangular-pyramidal and very acute (with a
sharp cartilaginous tip, which usually disappears with age and
leaves the older tubercles blunt or retuse), 18 to 25 mm. long
and about as wide at base, the upper surface almost plane and
smooth, except that it is more or less pulverulent and usually
bears a small tomentose pulvillus (often evanescent later) just
behind the claw-like tip: flowers rose-color: fruit elongated-
oval and reddish. (Ill. Lem. Cact. t. 1.) Type unknown.
Referred to Mexico in general, but reported definitely only from
San Luis Potosi. Undoubtedly found in Coahuila, and possibly
crosses the Rio Grande in the region of the "Great Bend."
Specimens examined: San Luis Potosi (Eschanzier of 1891): Mexico
in general (specimens from Coll. Salm-Dyck in 1858; Schott of
1858): also specimens cultivated in Mo. Bot. Gard. in 1881; also
growing in same garden in 1893.
3. Anhalonium furfuraceum (Watson).
Mamillaria furfuracea Watson, Proc. Amer. Acad. xxv. 150
(1890).
Very closely related to prismaticum; but triangular portion of
tubercle acuminate and shorter, having an irregularly mamillate
upper surface, and the acumination ending abruptly in a
cartilaginous depression containing a tomentose pulvillus:
flowers 2.5 to 3 cm. long, white or pinkish, the sepals brownish.
Type, Pringle 2580 in Gray Herb.
At Carneros Pass, Coahuila.
Specimens examined: Coahuila (Pringle 2580 of 1889).
The type of this species was not among the collections received
from Cambridge, but a specimen of the same distribution from the
National Herbarium shows tubercle dimensions different from those
recorded in Dr. Watson's description. In that description the
triangular terminal surface is said to be "about an inch broad by
one-half inch," which is decidedly different from the equilateral
surface of the tubercle of prismaticum. In the National
Herbarium specimen of furfuraceum, however, of the same
distribution, the surface is almost equilateral, measuring 15 mm.
long by 18 mm. wide at base. Without the acuminate upper portion
the breadth of the triangular portion would be about double its
length. The lower rim of the cup-like depression which
terminates the tubercle and contains the pulvillus is sometimes
slightly prolonged into a tooth, which in prismaticum becomes the
sharp tip of the tubercle. The "minutely
furfuraceous-punctulate" character of the tubercle is common to
all the species of Anhalonium I have seen, and simply represents
the external openings of the remarkably long cuticular
passageways to the stomata.
4. Anhalonium pulvilligerum Lem. Cact. (1839).
Anhalonium elongatum Salm-Dyck (1850).
This seems to be a third grooveless Mexican species. I have seen
no specimens, but judge from the description that it differs from
the two preceding species chiefly in its less crowded and more
elongated tubercles (triangular portion 5 cm. long by 2.5 cm.
broad at base), which are covered at apex with a tomentose
pulvillus.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.
This curious genus is strictly Mexican, and, so far as at present
recorded, is characteristic of Coahuila, but a single species
(engelmanni) of the four or five known crossing the Rio Grande in
the Great Bend.
3. LOPHOPHORA, gen. nov.
Depressed-globose, proliferous and cespitose, tuberculate-ribbed,
unarmed plants: tubercles at first conical and bearing at summit
a flower-bearing areola with a dense tuft or short pencil of
compact erect hairs, when mature becoming broad and rounded (with
the remnant of the penicellate tuft as a persistent pulvillus in
a small central depression) and coalescing into broad convex
vertical ribs: spine bearing areolae obsolete: flowers borne at
the summit of nascent tubercles: ovary naked (that is free from
scales, but often downy): fruit and seed unknown.
These forms have been variously referred to Anhalonium and
Echinocactus, but seem to deserve generic distinction. They
differ from Anhalonium in the entire suppression of the upper
highly differentiated portion of the tubercle, in the broad and
rounded development of the lower portion, and in the coalescence
of the enlarged tubercles into broad vertical ribs. In fact, in
young specimens, the plant appears almost smooth, with shallow
furrows radiating from the depressed apex. The genus differs
from Echinocactus in the suppression of the spine-bearing
areolae, and the naked ovary. In the examination of developing
tubercles the relation to Anhalonium is evident. In the latter
genus the young tubercle bears on the summit of its pedicel-like
lower portion the tufted flower-bearing areola the modified upper
portion of the tubercle at that time appearing as a bract beneath
the flower. In Lophophora there is the same condition of things,
except that the bract-like upper portion is wanting. From this
point of view it would appear that the differences between
Lophophora and Echinocactus are intensified by the fact that the
flower-bearing areola in the former genus is to be regarded as
really lateral on a tubercle the upper part of which has
disappeared. This genus occurs abundantly in southeastern Texas,
extending southward into Mexico. Mrs. A. B. Nickels reports that
the Indians use the plants in manufacturing an intoxicating
drink, also for "breaking fevers," and that the tops cut off and
dried are called "mescal buttons."
1. Lophophora williamsii (Lem).
Echinocactus williamsii Lem. Allg. Gart. Zeit. xiii. 385
(1845).
Anhalonium williamsii Lem. in Forst Handb. Cact. i. 233
(1846).
Hemispherical, from a very thick root, often densely proliferous,
transversely lined below by the remains of withered tubercles:
ribs usually 8 (in young specimens often 6), very broad,
gradually merging above into the distinct nascent tubercles which
are crowned with somewhat delicate penicellate tufts, which
become rather inconspicuous pulvilli on the ribs: flowers small,
whitish to rose: stigmas 4. (Ill. Bot. Mag. t. 4296) Type
unknown.
Along the Lower Rio Grande, Texas, and extending southward into
San Luis Potosi and southern Mexico.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "A Preliminary Revision of the North American Species of Cactus, Anhalonium, and Lophophora" ***
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