NBOMAMMILLARIA. 73 



It is perhaps nearest some of the species from Texas, such as A'^. hemisphaerica and A'^. 

 heyderi, but when growing it is easily distinguished by the pecuHar white mats of wool on 

 the young spine-areoles. 



The following interesting note has been contributed by Dr. Gaumer, in whose honor the 

 plant is named: 



"The flowers begin to open at 8 a. m., are fully open at noon, close at dawn, and shrink the next 

 morning, leaving the ovary wholly imbedded in the mass of the plant at the base of the tubercles; 

 it remains dormant from 3 to 6 months, then suddenly develops to an inch in length in 48 hours. 

 If put away in a dry place the bright crimson berries last from 3 to 6 months without decaying or 

 changing their color. When thoroughly ripe they have a rather pleasant sweetish taste and are 

 said to be edible. 



"The plant multiplies by seed and by segmentation; this latter is accomplished by the plant 

 putting out numerous shoots from its upper surface ; these send out roots ; the old plant decays and the 

 little ones are often rolled about by the cattle or by the winds, and later send out stronger roots 

 that finally anchor them to the sand, generally under a clump of brush." 



Plate VIII, figure i, shows the type plant which flowered in the New York Botanical 

 Garden, July 24, 1918, soon after its arrival from Yucatan; plate xiii, figure 2, is from a 

 photograph of the plant showing the large masses of white wool at the young spine-areoles. 



4. Neomammillaria petrophila (Brandegee). 



Mammillaria petrophila Brandegee, Zoe 5: 193. 1904. 



Sometimes cespitose, milky, globular, 15 cm. in diameter or less; tubercles short, broad at base; 

 spines at first chestnut-colored, becoming pale in age; radial spines 10, about i cm. long, a little 

 spreading; central spine i (rarely 2), 2 cm. long, darker and stouter than the radials; flowers bright 

 greenish yellow, 18 to 20 mm. long; perianth-segments hardly acute, sometimes slightly erose; 

 stamens and style yellow; stigma-lobes 6; fruit small, roundish; seeds reddish brown, smooth, less 

 than I mm. long. 



Type locality: Sierra de la Laguna, Lower California. 

 Distribution: Mountains of southern Lower California. 

 We know this species only from description and illustration. 

 Illustration: Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 17: 57, as Mammillaria petrophila. 



5. Neomammillaria arida (Rose). 



Mammillaria arida Rose in Quehl, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 23: 181. 1913. 



Plants usually single, globular, deeply seated in the ground, 3 to 6 cm. in diameter, containing 

 much milk and giving it off freely when injured; tubercles nearly terete; radial spines about 15, pale, 

 ascending, the bases sometimes yellowish and the tips dark; central spines 4 to 7, 12 to 16 mm. long, 

 much longer than the radials, dark brown, erect; flowers i cm. long; outer perianth-segments dark 

 purple with lighter margins, entire ; inner perianth-segments cream-colored to almost pale yellow ; 

 stamens pale; stigma-lobes green; fruit clavate, red, 15 cm. long; seeds brown. 



Type locality: Hills near Pichilinque Island near La Paz, Lower California. 

 Distribution: Known only from the type locality. 



Plate VII, figure 3, shows one of the plants collected by Dr. Rose in 1911 which flowered 

 in the New York Botanical Garden, July 2, 1912. 



6. Neomammillaria brandegeei (Coulter). 



Cactus brandegeei Coulter, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 96. 1894. 

 Cactus gabbii Coulter, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3:109. 1894. 

 Mammillaria gabbii Engelmann in K. Brandegee, Erythea 5: 116. 1897. 

 Mammillaria brandegeei K. Brandegee, Erythea 5: 116. 1897. 



Cylindric to globular, flattened, solitary or in clusters of 2 to 8 ; tubercles angled ; axils woolly ; 

 radial spines 9 to 16, 8 to 10 mm. long, yellowish brown; central spines 3 to 6, a little longer and 

 darker than the radials; flowers 15 mm. long; outer perianth-segments ovate, striate, ciliate; inner 

 perianth-segments greenish yellow, narrower than the outer, entire; fruit white (according to 

 Schumann), bearing a few narrow scales. 



