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The more I think the more I am convinced that each one of the groups that you have described as 

 subgenders, can form a distinct gender. For the Anhalonium, you yourself have placed this idea in the 

 Bound. Comm. Rep. and I divided them. Like you, I added to them the Anhalonium from the 

 P elecyphora. The flowers are very similar to those of the Anhalonium sulcatum; they rise from the 

 middle of a woody vertex; its seeds are less distinctly trabeculated as eompared to other species; they 

 are rather verucose. Consequently we have 6 species of Anhalonium: elongatum, prismaticum, 

 fissuratum, sulcatum, asilliforme and Williamsii. In regards to the Leuchtenher gia, I did not find it in 

 Mexico, but I don't think it can be included with the Anhalonium. The description by Salm (Cacti, 

 Horticultural dictionary page 178) seems to indicate quite clearly that the ovary is squamous, the flower 

 does not rise from the woody vertex which is characteristic of the Anhalonium; the extraordinary length 

 of the floral tube would in itself be sufficient to form a separate group of this unique plant. 



In regards to the Eumammillaria and the Coryphanta, it seems to me that there is a very cleär line of 

 demarcation. I propose to make 2 distinct genders. I would call the first Mammillaria and the second 

 Aulacothele. The name Coryphanta seems to me inapropriate as certain plants of this group have very 

 small flowers, even smaller than the Eumammillaria. Some of these have very large flowers. By the way 

 the name Aulacothele fits much better the principal characteristic on which this gender is founded. I do 

 not agree entirely with your opinion in regards the distinctive feature of the Eumammillaria and the 

 Coryphanta, which has the lateral or vertical position of the flowers. This characteristic is not 

 sufficiently constant, specially if under the name of vertex aureolas, wether vertical or lateral, as would 

 be logical, we would include those that were born after the previous flowering period. I would like to 

 present to you at another time my ideas on inftoresecence of the cacti in general, today it would be to 

 long. At this time it would be sufficient to acertain that the characteristic of the lateral or vertical 

 portion of the flowers is subject to dispute, just as you recognized in one of your letters. There is 

 another feature in regards the preceding, but which is invariable and which must indicate very clearly 

 the line of demarcation between both groups: it is the presence or absence of the furrow on the 

 flowering mammillae. 



This furrow is nothing but the Prolongation of the occuliferrous areola, Prolongation that extends to the 

 base of the mammilla or to one half or two thirds of its height. It is absolutely identical to the groove 

 that comes from the areola of the Echinocactus. I think it is obvious that you have considered the ocular 

 areola and the flowering one as 2 distinctive areolas, united only by one groove. It is a fact that they 

 form only one areola, similar to that of the Echinocactus. It is perfectly true that in the Aulacothele the 

 influorescence is more areolar that axillary. If the bark were not smooth the Aulacothele would be an 

 Echinocactus. Reciprocally please admit that certain Echinocactus of the group Chilodiae have smooth 

 bark as for example the Echinocactus horripilus, lophothele, Mensis, etc. Everyone would agree to 

 include them with the Aulacothele, although no one would consider their there inflorescense as axilary. 

 The Aulacothele are intermediary entities between the Mammillaria and the Echinocactus and hold all 

 other accessory characters. I must admit they form a very separate group that in my opinion should have 

 the honor of being higher in their gender. We could consider ourselves very happy if all the other groups 

 could be defined with the same precision. 



The Mammillaria and the Aulacothele all originate in the northern hemisphere in nearly all of Mexico 

 and close to the United States. Only 3 species come from New Granada and came from the Antilles. 

 Labouret noticed that the Mammillaria elephantidens is known only in Paraguay, but it is without doubt 



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