9 2 



THE CACTACEAE. 



Collected by J. N. Rose and George Rose at Huigra, Ecuador, August to November 

 1918 (No. 22127). 



This species is very common on the dry hills both below and above Huigra, Ecuador, 

 ranging from about 3,500 to 6,000 feet, where it is the most conspicuous plant in the land- 

 scape'. It is associated with a Furcraca, several 

 species of Opuiititi, a Haithinia, and a Zanthoxylum. 

 It is frequently overrun by vines, such as species 

 of Passijlora and Ipoinoca. 



It overlaps the lower range of an undescribed 

 species of Trichoccrcus and has been frequently 

 confused with that species. (See page 135.) 



This plant is named for Dr. F. W. Coding, 

 United States Consul-General at Guayaquil, 

 Ecuador, a well-known entomologist, who assisted 

 Dr. Rose in his botanical explorations in Ecuador. 



Illustration: Smiths. Misc. Coll. 70: f. 48, as 

 giant cactus. 



Figure 134 is from a photograph taken by 

 George Rose at Huigra. 



10. Lemaireocereus aragonii (Weber). 



Cereus aragonii .Weber, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 

 8: 456. 1902. 



Columnar, 5 to 6 meters high, dark green with 

 glaucous bands at intervals of growth ; terminal branches 

 about 3 meters long, 12 to 15 cm. in diameter; ribs 6 to 8, 

 very large, 2 to 3 cm. high, rounded; areoles about 2 cm. 

 apart, large, brown-felted; spines gray, about 8 to 10, 

 but new ones developed from time to time, acicular, the radial ones about i cm. long, one of the 

 centrals 2 to 3 cm. long; flowers 6 to 8 cm. long; ovary tuberculate, bearing clusters of spines; 

 flesh of the fruit white; seeds large, black, 5 to 6 mm. long. 



Type locality: Western Costa Rica. 



Distribution: Costa Rica. 



This cactus is used a good deal as a hedge plant in Costa Rica, much as is Pachycereus 

 marginal us on the table-lands of Mexico. It is the only columnar cactus in Costa Rica. 

 We have had living specimens of it in Washington since 1907, but they have never grown 

 very much. 



A cristate form of Cereus aragonii was named as a variety (palmatus) by Weber 

 (Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 8:456. 1902). 



Illustrations: Boletin de Fomento Costa Rica 4:117; Iberica 48: 339, both illustrations 

 from the same source as the one used as figure 135. 



Figure 135 is from a photograph taken by Otto Lutz at Tres Rios, Costa Rica, 1,350 

 meters altitude. 



11. Lemaireocereus stellatus (Pfeiffer) Britton and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 426. 1909. 



Cereus stellatus Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 4: 258. 1836. 



Cereus dyckii Martins in Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 87. 1837. 



Cereus toneliatnis Lemaire, Illustr. Hort. 2: Misc. 63. 1855. 



Stenocereus stellatus Riocobono, Boll. R. Ort. Bot. Palermo 8: 253. 1909. 



Stenocereus stellatus luiie/ia nits'* Riccobono, Boll. R. Ort. Bot. Palermo 8: 254. 1909. 



Plant 2 to 3 meters high, branching at base, rarely branching above, pale bluish green; ribs 8 

 to 12, low, obtuse; radial spines 10 to 12; centrals several, often much longer than the others, some- 



*Riccobono in error spells it " tenellianus." 



