SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 

 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



May 2, 1924. 



Mr* Walter DeaniJ 

 29 Brewater Street, 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts, 



My dear Mr, Deant-^ 



Your cactus specimens came to hand jresterday, 

 I think my guess sent on a postal card was about 

 correct, that is, your plant is probably Nopalxo- 

 chiafc phy 1 Ian t ho 1 de s , a very common plant m cul- 

 t iva-Gion and also a great , favorite « T'hether it is 

 exactly the same as the w«ld form or not, I am not 

 quite sure, in fact, I don't believe that I have 

 ever seen the wild plant. It has been in cultiva- 

 tion for hiindreds of years and has doubtless been 

 changed more or less. It has t«64»^fi<mpassed as a 

 specimen of Bpiphyllu m, but yoti ?/ill note that it 

 has not the long s lender tube which is characteris- 

 tic of that genus « I have had your specimen dried 

 and will preserve it in the Cactus Collection, You 

 will find a little more about It in my last Cactus 

 volume , 



Ver^'- truljr yours. 



As delate Ciirator 

 Division of Plants. 



