56 



THE CACTACEAS 



Specimens from northern Colombia 



Cephalocereus 



S. Nat. Herb 



Figure 82 is from a photograph of the plant; figure 83 a shows a piece of the stem 



stem 



from photographs of the type specimen by Henry 



purpusu 



Stems slender, 2 to 3 meters high, sim- 



green 



erect, 3 to 4 cm. in diameter, usually sim- 

 ple; ribs 12, low, 5 to 6 mm. high, separated 

 by narrow intervals; areoles closely set, 10 

 mm. apart or less on the lower part of the 

 stem, but much closer together toward the 



growth 



without 



acicular 





long, bright yellow at first, in age gray. 



Collected by Rose, Standley, and 

 Russell at Mazatlan, Mexico, on the 

 hills near the town overlooking the sea, 

 March 31, 1910 (No. i3749» type), and 

 also a short distance inland at Guada- 

 lupe, in thickets, April 18, 1910 (No. 



14741). 



This species differs from the other 



Mexican ones in having very slender 

 stems. It is named for the veteran col- 

 lector, Dr. C. A. Purpus, who writes 

 that he collected the species several 

 years earlier than above recorded. We 

 have not, however, seen his specimens. 



The plant is growing in the New 

 York Botanical Garden, from Dr. Rose's 

 collection at Mazatlan. 



45. Cephalocereus catingicola (Giirke). 



Cereus catingicola Giirke, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 18: 54. 1908. 



Tree-like, 3 to 10 meters high, with a short definite trunk and a large, much branched top, 

 bluish green; ribs 4 or 5, separated by broad intervals; areoles large, woolly; spines yellow when 

 young, numerous, unequal, the longest 3 cm. long; flowers 6 to 8 cm. long, 6 cm. broad when fully 

 open, with a broad throat, opening in the evening, odorless; flower-tube short, about i cm. long, with 

 broad scales near its top, these green with brownish margins; perianth-segments numerous, broad, 

 short, white, stiff; anthers dehiscing soon after the flowers open; filaments short, the lower ones 

 much longer than the upper one but all included, attached all over the throat; style stout, soon 

 exserted, at first raised against the upper part of the throat, white; stigma-lobes at first white but 

 pinkish the second day after anthesis; fruit broader than high, glaucous, 6 to 7 cm. broad, capped by 

 the withered perianth; rind thick; pulp purple. 



Type locality: In the caatinga of Bahia, Brazil. 



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Fig. 83. — Cephalocereus colombianus. 



Distribution: Common in the caatiil 

 Illustration: Monatsschr. Kakteenk 



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from 



Dr. Rose in 19 15 



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