CORYPHANTHA. 23 
Type locality: San Borgia, Lower California. 
Distribution: Interior of southern Lower California. 
We have not seen living specimens of the species. Dr. Rose obtained a small specimen 
from L. Quehl at Halle in 1912. 
The type of this species, now in the herbarium of the Missouri Botanical Garden, was 
collected by William Gabb in 1867, while Brandegee obtained specimens in 1889. Dr. C. 
A. Purpus found it near Calmalli and wrote of it as follows (Cact. Journ. 2: 54. 1899): 
“My next trip was to a chain of granite mountains about 20 miles from Calmalli. 
‘‘I was very much surprised to find on the slope of the mountains Mamillaria selispina Engel- 
mann, which until now I had not been able to collect as a living specimen. I came upon it afterwards 
also in gneiss, trachyt, porphur, and in a sandstone conglomerate. Ground composed of granite 
gravel appears to suit it best.’ 
4. Cochemiea pondii (Greene) Walton, Cact. Journ. 2: 51. 1899. 
Mammillaria pondii Greene, Pittonia 1: 268. 1889. 
Cactus pondii Coulter, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 102. 1894. 
Stems at first upright, cylindric, simple or few-branched, 7 cm. to 3 dm. high, hidden under a 
dense covering of spines; axils of tubercles setose; young areoles white-tomentose; radial spines 
white, whitish or sometimes brownish, 15 to 25, spreading; central 
spines 8 to 11, much longer and stouter than the radials, the longest 
3 cm. long, 1 or 2 hooked; flowers slender, 5 cm. long, bright scarlet; 
stamens exserted; fruit purplish red, 18 mm. long, ovoid to obovoid. 
Type locality: Cedros Island. 
Distribution: Islands off the western coast of northern 
Lower California. 
This plant was found in great abundance on Cedros Island 
by Dr. Rose-in 1911 (No. 16090) and a number of living speci- 
mens was brought to Washington and New York. These have 
been in cultivation for more than ten years but have never 
flowered. It is not often met with in cultivation. 
The species was named for Charles Fremont Pond, U.S. Fics. 24 and 24a.—Fruit and seed 
N., who collected plants on Cedros and other islands off the of Cochemiea pondii. 
coast of Lower California in 1889. 
Figure 24 shows the fruit and figure 24a the seed from specimens obtained at the type 
ocality by Dr. Rose in 1911. 
f ] \ 6. CORYPHANTHA (Engelmann) Lemaire, Cactées 32. 1868. 
Plant body globular to cylindric, either solitary or cespitose; tubercles, except the very earliest 
ones, grooved on upper surface* from apex to base; flowers from near top of plant and from base of 
young and growing tubercles, large and showy, generally yellow, sometimes purple or red; ovary 
naked or, occasionally, bearing a few scales in some species; perianth long-persistent +; fruit large, ? 
ripening slowly, ovoid to oblong, greenish or yellowish; seeds brown (black and angled in Cor yphantha 
cubensis), lightly reticulated or nearly smooth, thin-shelled, with a central or subventral hilum; 
embryo curved, at least in some species. 
Type species:' Mammillaria sulcolanata Lemaire. 
The generic name is from xopudy top, and &v6os flower, referring to the insertion of 
the flowers at the top of the plant. We recognize 37 species in the genus. The genus 
Coryphantha was proposed by Lemaire in 1868, but he did not designate a type. The 
*In C. macromeris the tubercle is grooved only for about half its length. 
t+ We quote the following observation of Engelmann in this connection: ‘‘I have repeatedly observed, and in a 
considerable number of species, that the red berries of the Mammillariae are always destitute of the remnants of the 
perigone, but the green fruits always are topped with it (Mem. Tour North. Mex. 21). ; 
t The only fruit which we have seen of C. nickelsae was globose and small, 5 to 7 mm. in diameter, but the species 
otherwise of this alliance. 
§ See Britton and Millspaugh, Bahama Flora 295. 1920. 
