NBOMAMMILLARIA. 7 1 



here. The name Cactus prolifer Willdenow (Pfeiffer, Knum. Cact. 9. 1837) is doubtless 

 to be referred here. Fawcett Hsts the plant from Jamaica (as Maminillaria simplex) but no 

 specimens are known to us from that island, which was searched by Dr. Britton and the late 

 Mr. Wilham Harris. 



De Tussac (Fl. Antill. 2: 216, pi. 32) refers it to Santo Domingo and he describes and 

 figures it, mentioning a locality in the desert near Gonaives which, however, is in Haiti; 

 his illustration, while undoubtedly of this species, is not an original but copied from that of 

 De Candolle (PI. Succ. pi. 1 1 1). The only similar plant we know from his locality is Mani- 

 millaria ptisilla, described as M. pusilla haitiensis by Schumann, which has been collected 

 by Buch at this locality, and we have specimens from other collectors. We now believe 

 that Neoinammillaria mammillaris is confined to the coast of Venezuela and the adjacent 

 islands, among which is Curagao. In 1913 Dr. Britton and Dr. Shafer found it common on 

 the top of a limestone hill in Curagao (No. 3085) and in the same year Mr. Pittier obtained 

 living plants near Cabo Blanco, Venezuela (No. 6471). These two are the only collections 

 which have been made in recent years. 



Steudel (182 1), under Mammillaria simplex, compares this species with Cereiis 

 flavescens and C. lanuginosus, but he must have meant Cactus instead of Cereus. 



Mammillaria microthele Monville and M. micrantha Hortus are names which Riimpler 

 (Forster, Handb. Cact. ed. 2. 335. 1885) refers to M. caracassana; Salm-Dyck (Cact. Hort. 

 Dyck. 1844. 9. 1845) also referred to it M. micracantha Monville. 



Mammillaria simplex affinis Otto is mentioned by Forster (Handb. Cact. 217. 1846), 

 but is not described. 



Mammillaria karstenii Poselger (Allg. Gartenz. 21: 95. 1853) is listed by Schumann 

 among his little-known species. The Index Kewensis states that it comes from Argentina, 

 which is doubtless a mistake. The type locality is given as "La Canada," a common 

 Spanish locality name. If collected by Karsten, it probably was obtained in Venezuela, 

 in which case it would probably be referable to N eomammillaria mammillaris. 



Mammillaria fuliginosa Salm-Dyck (Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1849. 93. 1850) we do not know, 

 but if it came from Venezuela, where it is referred doubtfully by the Index Kewensis, 

 it would belong here. 



///M5/rah'oM5.- Hermann, Parad. 132. pi. 137, a.s Echinomelocactus minor, etc.; Commelin, 

 Hort. Amst. i : 105. f. 55 ; Plukenet, Opera Bot. i : 148. pi. 29, f. i, as Ficoides, etc. ; Bradley, 

 Hist. PI. Succ. 3: II. pi. 29, as melon-thistle; Loudon, Encycl. PI. ed. 2 and 3. 410. f. 6839; 

 De Candolle, PI. Succ. 137. pl. 11 1; Fl. Antill. 2: pi. 32, as Cactus mammillaris; De Can- 

 dolle, Mem. Cact. pl. 7, as Mammillaria simplex. 



Figure 64 is reproduced from a colored drawing by Miss M. E. Eaton of a plant obtained 

 by Dr. Britton and Dr. Shafer on Curasao in 1913, which fruited the same year in the New 

 York Botanical Garden. 



2. Neomammillaria nivosa (Link). 



Mammillaria tiivosa Link in Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 11. 1837. 

 Cactus nivosits Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. i: 259. 1891. 

 Coryphantha nivosa Britton, Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 2: 45. 1915. 



Often forming large clusters 8 dm. in diameter, of 25 heads or more; separate specimens usually 

 globose but sometimes cylindric, the largest ones 18 cm. in diameter, very spiny; tubercles milky, 

 10 mm. long, their axils filled with white wool; spines usually 14, bright yellow, acicular, the longer 

 ones 1.5 cm. long; spine-areoles when young woolly, in age naked; flowers cream-colored, 1.5 cm. 

 long; fruit clavate, 12 mm. long, red; seeds brown. 



Type locality: Tortola Island, Virgin Islands. 



Distribution: Southern Bahamas, Alona, Desecheo, Culebra, Buck Island, St. Thomas, 

 Little St. James Island, Tortola, and Antigua. 



Known as the snowy cactus in the Virgin Islands and as the woolly nipple-cactus in 

 the Bahamas. 



