53 LEAFLETS. 



Hasan cacti whose fruits are so small, rounded or elongated an 

 smooth as naturally to be called berries are his C. mamillan 

 and C. Melocactus. Necker's Cactus is then exactly that o 

 Miller as to its type species. Both authors retain the Linnssa 

 genus name, restricting the genus of that name to the firs 

 group of species enumerated by that author ; and inasmuch a 

 Miller is the first author of this restricted Cactus, the type-specie 

 of the genus must evidently be sought of Miller. In a wore 

 Necker's Cactus is synonymous with that of Miller. 



CiEiKOsuM, Neck. 1. c. 84. This is evidently the equivalent o 

 Cereus, the spelling of which, in the earliest mention of thes 

 plants, I find to have been Cirius, meaning the wax taper o 

 church altars. Even the French name given by Necker i 

 Cierge de Perou, which in English would be Peruvian Wa 

 Taper, the Latin equivalent being exactly what Linnsens adopte 

 from earlier authors, Cereus Peruvianus, which is therefor 

 naturally to be taken as the type of Cirinosum. 



Caepophyllus, Neck. 1. c. 84. This synonym, if it must need 

 have been made, should have been written Carpophyllum ; an 

 still it would have been a mere synonym of Peireskia, of whic' 

 the character of a "globose leafy 3 -seeded fruit," assigned b 

 Necker is quite the same given by Father Plumier, who f ounde 

 the genus. Even the Neckerian name is meant to indicate thi 

 curious character of a leafy berry. Some of us who are ur 

 willing that the pre-Linnsean founders of modern botany shoul 

 be deprived of the credit of their genera, will deem it f ortunat 

 that Miller restored Peireskia ; but for which fact, it seems tha 

 Carpophillus would now have been forced into the place of th 

 Plumierian name ; and that too by some who are willing t 

 assert that in botanical nomenclature "The principle of priorit 

 is fundamental." 



Phtllakthus, Neck. 1. c. 85. The name means leaf -joint, o 

 jointed leaf. The vegetative character attributed to the genu 

 is that of compressed and jointed leaves in the place of stem an 

 branches. It embraces, therefore, both Opuntia and Phyllai 

 thus of earlier authors. It is not a genus which as to limits wi 

 ever in the future meet with approval. It does not differ froi 

 Linnseus' fourth group of Cactus, and is in fact exactly coexter 



