212 the; cactaceae. 



wards described by Salm-Dyck under that name. This name of De Candolle has priority of 

 place over Cereus setaceus and is, therefore, adopted by us for this well-known plant of 

 eastern South America. The name coccineus was evidently given because the flowers were 

 supposed to be red but it would very properly apply to the color of the fruit. 



A plant was found growing on a garden wall, half-wild, at Cali, Cauca Valley, 

 Colombia, December 1905, by H. Pittier, but we do not know it to be a native of Colombia. 



Cereus prismaticus Salm-Dyck (De Candolle, Prodr. 3 : 469. 1828. Not Haworth. 1819) 

 is doubtless a Mediocactus; if really of South American origin, as stated by Schumann, it is 

 probably M. coccineus. 



Illustrations: Pfeiffer and Otto, Abbild. Beschr. Cact. i:pl. 16, as Cereus setaceus; 

 Vellozo, Fl. Flum. 5 : pi. 24, as Cactus triangularis. 



Plate xiii, figure 3, shows a fruiting branch and plate xxxvii a flowering branch of 

 plants in the collection of the New York Botanical Garden. Figure 290 is from a photo- 

 graph taken by Paul G. Russell at Nichteroy, Brazil, in 1915; figure 291 is from a photo- 

 graph of a branch bearing young fruit collected by H. Pittier from a half -wild plant at 

 Cali, Cauca Valley, Colombia, in 1905, possibly referable to the following species. 



2. Mediocactus megalanthus (Schumann). 



Cereus megalanthus Schumann, Bot. Jahrb. Engler4o: 412. 1907. 



Growing in trees, forming masses of long pendent branches; branches often only 1.5 cm. broad, 

 rooting freely, 3-angled; margin of angles only slightly undulating; spines 1 to 3, yellowish, 2 to 3 

 mm. long, when young associated with several white bristles; flowers very large, 38 cm. long, white; 

 inner perianth-segments 11 cm. long, 3.5 cm. broad; stamens numerous; stigma-lobes numerous. 



Type locality: Near the town of Tarapoto, Department of Loreto, eastern Peru. 



Distribution: Andes of Peru and possibly Colombia and Bolivia. 



This species was very briefly described at place cited above and had been previously 

 illustrated (see below). Vaupel (Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5: 284. 1913) has published 

 an extended account which enables us to refer the plant definitely to this genus. 



In 19 14 Mr. Weingart sent Dr. Rose a cutting of this species but it has grown little 

 since, although it has developed long aerial roots. It was briefly described in a Kew Bulle- 

 tin (Kew Bull. Misc. Inf. 1914; App. 61. 1914). 



The plant seems to have one of the largest flowers known among cacti and, according 

 to Vaupel, is rivaled only by Selenicereus urbanianus. 



A specimen similar to Cereus megalanthus was collected growing in trees by R. S. 

 Williams at Charopampa, Bolivia, September 27, 1901 (No. 881). Mr. Williams says that 

 his plant was many yards in length. It is without flowers or fruit. 



Illustration: Karsten and Schenck, Vegetationsbilder 2: pi. 5, as Cereus megalanthus. 



Figure 292 is a reproduction of the illustration above cited. 



5. DEAMIA gen. nov. 



An elongated cactus, clambering over or pendent from rocks or climbing and growing on bark 

 of living trees, the joints usually broadly 3-winged, but sometimes 5 to 8-ribbed or winged, clinging 

 by aerial roots ; spines of the areoles numerous, acicular, or in juvenile forms bristly ; flowers diurnal, 

 very large, the tube slender, elongated; throat funnelform; inner perianth-segments yellowish white; 

 stamens numerous, slender, attached all over the throat; style rather slender; scales on ovary and 

 tube very small, bearing 3 to 5 long brown bristles in their axils; stigma-lobes linear, entire; fruit 

 not known. 



A monotypic genus of Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, dedicated to Charles 

 C. Deam, a diligent botanical collector, who sent the plant to us from Guatemala. 



