typical Echinocactus which without doubt is micromeris? After this are the Anhalonium\ All of these 

 have the blooms on the tips of the tubercles. 



3 



I do not want to contradict you if you want to make an Echinocactus from a Mamillaria 

 micromeris, in which I told you a long time ago, about the occurence of the apical florescence. 

 But I must protest when you say that the Anhalonium have the same inflorescence. I can assure 

 you that the Anhalonium prismaticum, that I saw and frequently studied in Mexico where it is 

 common, has entirely axillary flowers. I am also sure that I was attracted by you drawing of the 

 Anhalonium fissuratum where you drew supra axillary flowers.I frequently verified this fact on 

 dissecting this flowering plant in Mexico. The following is what I wrote in my notebook: 

 " The flowers of the Anhalonium are without doubt entirely axillary, that is to say, they grow 

 from the top of the tubercles. This explains the drawings that Engelmann made of the 

 Anhalonium fissuratum. The silky down that surrounds the flower abundantly is entirely 

 produced in the axilla.. This is also seen in the Anhalonium that I found in Marin (close to 

 Monterrey) ( A. trigonum); whereas the Anhalonium sulcatum has the silky down in the upper 

 part of the tubercle and the flowers appear to be slightly supra-axillary." 



This results in these observations, that I can guarantee are correct and that I made here, in which 

 the Anhalonium that I brought from Mexico were frequently studied and drawn with all their 

 details. As I was saying the Anhalonium fissuratum et sulcatum has a slight supraaxillary 

 florescense ( similar to some Coryphanta). This is not the same in the large Anhalonium such as 

 the Anhalonium prismaticum or its neighbor the trigonum, of which you saw drawings at my 

 house with the incorrect name of Anhalonium elongatum. Therefore these Anhalonium cannot 

 be classified together with the Echinocactus. 



On the contrary I have already told you several times of the error made by many botanists in 

 regards to the inflorescence of the Melocactus, that we always included with the Cacti that have 

 axillary florescence. This is where big errors have been made. I examined numerous Melocactus 

 in bloom, and I can assure you in the most positive way, that in all the flowers are in the summit 

 of the young tubercles of the cephalium, exactly as in the Mamillaria micromeris. The results are 

 that the Melocactus have a much greater affinity with the Echinocactus than with the 

 Mamillaria. 



I am very appreciative of the offer you made, to send me some live plants in the fall. I will be 

 happy to receive the Opuntia Davisii, that, to my knowledge, does not exist here, as also the 

 Opuntia Utahensis, and a fragment of the Opuntia Missouriensis vera. Also a young Agave 

 sisalana, Agave Wislizeni ( seeds have not germinated), Agave virginica, seeds of the Agave 

 maculata, etc. Opuntia galapagia ( that died here), etc. It is however useless to send me your 

 Opuntia rufida, Op. basilaris, Op. fragilis, Op. rutila. We already have these species that you 

 have sent me, alive or there seeds. 



