84 



CONTRIHUTIONS FEOM THE NATIONAL HEREARIUM, 



another of the tree cucti hei*e found. This species produces snuill 

 yellow flowers and a fruit clothed with thin pap(My scales. The fruit 

 is a common article in the markets, sold under the names of chiotilla, 



C( 



geotilla," tuna, etc. Flere, and farther soutli, near Tomellin Canon, 



is perhaps the real ^'iant of tlie cactus family. A single tree often 

 produces hundreds of nearh' erect bi'aiK^hcs, and tln^ <][u;intity of mate- 

 rial wrapped up mu.st amount to many tons. Unfortunately I failed to 

 find it either in floAyer or in fruit, hut its habit, sjiines, etc., would 

 indicate that it is a near relative of Cerempecten-ahorighuun (PI. XXI), 

 which 1 have found as far inland as Cuernavaca. This })lant, doubtless, 

 like many other cacti, has two or more names alrcnuly/' Hardly less 

 interesting- was the little IMecyphora pmllla^ wltich had recently been 

 dis(*overed also by Doctor Purpus near Tehuacfin, For nearly a week 

 we explored hill after hill and not until we were completel}^ discour- 

 aged did we find this little plant on the top of a hill almost bidden in 

 the g^'ay pebbles and sand. 



A third cactus region explored was in the desert of Qucrctaro. Fit- 

 ting out at San Juan del Kio we traveled northeast to Cadercyta and 

 then east toward Zimapan as fnr as Jlio-uerillas, llience north nearl}^ 

 to Toloman, returning by the way of Oadereyfa to San Juan del Eio. 

 On this trip 86 species were examined, of wliieli i) were Opuntias and 

 15 were Mamillarias. The so-called MftmiUavia dam was especially 

 abundant, often forming clumps of 50 or more phmts each 2 feethi<du 



Each plant would have 10 to 12 iai-ge yellow flowers open at one time,. 

 the whole clump thus making a most gorgeous display. Manv fine 

 specimens of Echhwcactiis ornatn^s were seen, but unfortunatclv oidv 

 a single living specimen reached Washington. In the same desert 

 were found Echhiocactus f/n.mmii^ E. tarhhiffonnh^ and E, ingcih^. 

 Perhaps the most interesting rediscovery made was that of the 

 Eouqiiieria^^j>hosff of Humboldt, lionpland, and Kunth, or, as it is now 

 called, E. famicnltda. Nearlj^ ten years ago, Avhile making some pre- 

 liminary studies on the genus Fon(|uiei'ia, I looked up TTuihboldt's 

 original station and found it to be in the 



State of Ilidalu'o. 



Since then 



every proposed itinerary of mine in Mexico has included a trip to this 

 type locality, but as the station is far from railroad connections the 

 trip has repeatedl\- been given up, J had looked in \ ain for the plant 

 in the dry parts of Hidalgo. Inquiry \A'as made of botanical collectors 

 in Mexico, but without success. The species has therefore remained 

 a prominent desideratum. 



It will be recalled that as long ago as 18-14 ^Ir. lientham r*^fei'n'd a 

 plant from southei'n Low^er California to E. ^7?/;/o^vY and various speci- 

 mens since collected in Lower CalifoiMua and western Mexico have 

 accordingly thus been labeled. To those at all I'amiliar with the floral 



» Later determined as C. weheri 



