3 



Prirce Salm 



July 17, 185k 



in the German terninolo.fry, If one Can.; say* esily and properly, that 

 every plant, which mul tiplies imchanged fron seed and endures, is a 

 species, this fa.ct must first be proven; this is a.lways impossible; an 

 could in any ca.se be proven only in. the homeland. The regulär perpetu- 

 ation of such a wk&mk species can be disturbed through jBHiikHafcjcBBr 

 f ertilization with the pollen o^ another species; this can. also be 

 through very oportune or very poor conditions, und er which life has 

 been destined; Thus originate the varieties, which I would like to 

 dif f erentiate from play-varieti es : : The first can to a degree propa- 

 gate themselves through seeds-; the latter, in contra st, are pure,, indi 

 vidal accidents; of a real bastard- plant I can't coneeive at all; be- 

 cause even the so-ealled~ hybrids between Cer. spe^oslssimug and Phyl- 

 Toc» . nhyllautious can easily be con.sidered varieties. There are also 

 mi sf ornations and monstrous abnornali ties , which do never pernetuate.^ 

 To the botanist the plant s modified through climatic or telluric (va- 

 riations in soil.E.D. ) differences are difficult", inthat they they 

 propagate relatively und. er such ~ cönditi ons, and can easily be be- 

 lieved to be true species. 



r wanted to corrumicate all this to Jfour Wellborn f , so that 

 you may use it as you please in your own work ; . It means nuch to ne, to 

 keep my systematic Organization of the cacti intact; not so nuch from 

 fatherly tenderness, but fron an inner conviction,. that it alone may 

 keep us on a scientific course.- Receive the assurance of ny perfect 

 esteem 



F. to Salm Dyck 

 (translated fron German Script by Edgar Denison, June 1988 ) 



