2 Notes on Cactee. [ZOE 
as the exigencies of trade demand; the next monographer pours 
all these names into the turgid synonymy, and so the process 
continues. 
To such an extent has the loose and lawless naming gone that 
besides the immense synonymy (Mamillaria centricirrha alone is 
credited fifty names), there are in the single genus Mamillaria, 
according to Dr. Schumann, one hundred and forty ‘uncertain 
species.’’ In reality there are three times as many, because the 
synonymy is itself largely uncertain. 
The way out of this tangle is difficult but not impossible. 
1. All pure nomina nuda should be at once cast out of the 
lists. . 
>. All names credited to Catalogues or ‘‘Hort’’ should be 
credited instead to the first one who describes them intelligently 
and preserves the type in herbarium. For so great is the extern- 
al resemblance of species of Cacti that very rarely can one be 
certain that the plant described is of the same species as the 
original one of ‘‘Cat.’’ or “‘Hort.’”? Science has nothing to do 
with catalogue names of plants offered for sale, though the 
catalogues should and in most cases would be glad to have much 
to do with science. 
3. Species should not be recognized, even in synonymy, with- 
out an authentic type. It is astonishing what an amount of in- 
formation the specialist can extract from very unpromising 
material, and the man who undervalues types only furnishes 
proof of his conviction that no one will ever know more or see 
better than himself. 
Cacti are nearly always described from living specimens, and 
if there be but a single plant in the collection, the owner is usually 
unwilling to sacrifice it to the preservation of a type, yet a living 
type may at any time be confused by a careless gardener, and if 
it dies from disease or age, is so altered as to be of comparatively 
little value. It is possible, however, to preserve a fair authentic 
type without destroying the plant. A good photograph, two 
characteristic, connected areole, three or four bunches of spines 
taken from different parts of the plant, a good flower, a fruit with 
seed can be taken with little injury from almost any plant, and 
