THE WESTERN CYCADS 21 



region should be studied. It is practically untouched 

 botanically. No one had ever seen a botany can or a 

 plant press, and they said that no one but the Indians 

 had ever collected plants there, even for medicine. 

 Lack of time and money prevented me from making 

 an adequate study. I collected Dioon and dug up an 

 unfamiliar Zamia— now growing in the University of 

 Chicago greenhouse — which proved to be a new species, 

 secured a few ferns, and determined to make another 

 visit. I did so two years later, in company with 

 Dr. Land; but that was in September, 19 10, while the 

 Madero revolution was trying to break out. We had 

 a hard time getting started from Tuxtepec, were led 

 astray in the forest, and finally made our way back with 

 scarcely any study of the locality. 



CERATOZAMIA 



The other Mexican genus is Ceratozamia, so named 

 because each cone scale bears two rigid spines, or " horns " 

 (Fig. 7; see also Figs. 46 and 47). 



During my first visit I made repeated but unsuccess- 

 ful efforts to locate Ceratozamia, wandering about for 

 days in places where I guessed, from taxonomic accounts, 

 that it might occur. Before leaving for home I paid 

 my respects to Governor Dehesa, thanking him for his 

 assistance in making the study of Dioon edule so success- 

 ful and mentioning the fruitless search for Ceratozamia. 

 He wanted to know what the plant looked like, and when 

 I told him that there was a specimen in the park near 

 his palace, he said he would find where it came from, if 

 it grew in his state. In about a month some splendid 

 cones came to my desk in Chicago. I learned from 



