CACTUS. 



237 



A living plant was sent to Dr. Rose by Professor C. Conzatti in October 191 3 (No. 

 151a), from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and it has been reported by Dr. C. A. Purpus from San 

 Geronimo. Dr. Purpus has written to us as follows: 



' ' The Mclocactus from San Geronimo 

 is indeed a most interesting and remark- 

 able cactus. When I saw the cactus, I 

 mean to say without a crown, very few 

 specimens ever having one, I thought it 

 was an Eclihiocaclus, but of course it is 

 undoubtedly a small Mclocactus, the 

 smallest which I ever saw. Later I found 

 some specimens with a woolly crown and 

 with it flower and fruit. The flower and 

 fruit resemble flower and fruit of a 

 Mamnullaria." 



Here may belong Mclocactus 

 curvispinus Pfeiffer (Enum. Cact. 46. 

 1837) and M. delessertianus Lemaire 

 (Hort. Univ. 1: 225. 1839). 



Figure 249 shows a barren plant 

 by C. Conzatti, referred to above. FlG 250 ._ Cactus neryi . 



DESCRIBED SPECIES. PERHAPS OF THIS GENUS. 



Cactus heptagonus Linnaeus, Sp. PL 466. 1753. 



Cereus heptagonus Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8. No. 6. 1768. 



The name has not been definitely associated with any known cactus by authors sub- 

 sequent to Miller. Linnaeus indicates that the plant was of American origin and states 

 (Hort. Cliff. 161) that "it is exactly ovate, with 7 angles deeply sculptured; some say they 

 have seen the same thing 1 or 2 feet high, but our plant did not change its shape in growth." 

 Miller's account of it is not more satisfactory; he indicates that he received it, among other 

 kinds of Cereus from the British Islands of America and that it has 7 or 8 ribs and several 

 very long white spines. He also says: "Upright, thickest torch thistle, having many 

 angles, several very long white spines and yellow down." There may be doubt whether 

 Miller's plant was the same as that of Linnaeus. 



( 'actus heterogonus (De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 470. 1828) is a misspelling for C. heptagonus. 



Cactus parvispinus Haworth, Suppl. PI. Succ. 73. 1819. 



Echinocactus parvispinus De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 463. 1828. 

 Ribs about 12; spines 6 to 8 mm. long, white with brownish tips; flowers unknown. 



This plant was in cultivation in England in 18 15 and is said to have come from the 

 West Indies. It was probably a young plant and is doubtless of this alliance. Mclocactus 

 parvispinus Haworth (De Candolle, Prodr. 3 : 463. 1828) was given only as a synonym. 

 Melocactus Excavatus Forbes, Journ. Hort. Tour Germ. 151. 1837. 



This plant is said to come from Mexico and is probably not of this relationship. 

 Forbes briefly described it as hollow, crowned with 13 ribs; radial spines 7 or 8; central 

 spine solitary, reddish yellow. 

 Melocactus hystrix Parmentier in Miquel, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 18: Suppl. 1. 138. 1841. 



The origin of this plant is unknown and it has never been definitely referred to any of 

 the described species. 

 Melocactus monvillEanus Miquel, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 18: Suppl. 1. 133. pi. 5. 1841. 



This species can not be identified and its origin is unknown. The illustration shows a 

 barren plant which does not suggest any of the species of Cactus known to us, but rather some 

 stubby Cereus relative such as Cereus lormata. 



