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CACTACE^E. 
II. Coryphantha. Englm. Synops. Cact. 
5. Mam. nuttallii, Englm. : var. y. robustior aculeis ltevioribus radialibus sub-12, centrali 
robusto. The northern and Texas plants have pubescent spines. 
Plains on the False Washita and Canadian, near Fort Arbuckle, August 22-29, 1853. 
6. Mam. vivipara, Haw. 
/?. Neo-Mexicana, Englm. in Rep. B. C. : Found in many different forms, from the plains of 
the Canadian, in longitude 100°, to the Aztec mountains, in longitude 112° west. The forms 
mostly belong to the var. /?. Neo-Mexicana. One of the specimens brought to Washington 
bore abnormal flowers, quite interesting in a morphological point of view. The ovary is 4-5 
lines long, covered with 8-12 fimbriate sepals, (or scales,) much like the ovary of an Echino- 
cactus, the ovules deformed or wanting ; styles irregularly divided to the base, or nearly so, in 
8-10 parts, stigmatose at the upper part; other parts of the flower normal. This plant occurs 
in the greatest variety of altitudes through 12 degrees of longitude. Specimens of it were 
collected on the top of the Sandia mountains, near Albuquerque, upwards of 13,000 feet above 
the level of the sea, September 4, 1853, to January 17, 1854. 
ECHINOCACTUS, Link. 
No specimen of this genus was found till the Colorado Chiquito was reached. From there to 
the California mountains five species were observed, two only of which, E. Lecontn and E. 
Emoryi , had before been seen any where else. 
1. E. Whipplei, (sp. nov.): globosa-ovatus, costis 13-15 (siepe obliquis) interruptis tubercu- 
latis, areolis orbiculatus approximatis ; aculeis radialibus compressis albidis, infra brevioribus, 
supra deficientibus ; aculeis centralibus 4 radiales superantibus, summo complanato recto albido 
ceteris plerumque longiore compresso-quadrangulatis fusco-atris, demum cinereo-rubellis, 2 
lateralibus rectis sursum divergentibus, inferiore robustiore deorsum hamato ; flore? bacca? 
seminibus oblique obovatis opacis minutim verrucoso-tuberculatis. (Plate I.) 
This species was discovered on Lithodendrow creek, near the Colorado Chiquito, about 90 
miles west of Zuni, in sandy plains, December 3-4, 1853. At first only dead specimens were 
found, afterwards young living ones were collected. It was not seen after leaving the valley of 
the Little Colorado. We have named this very pretty species in honor of Captain A. W. 
Whipple, the zealous and talented commander of this expedition. 
Our plant is from 3 to 5 inches high, and 2 to 3 or 4 in diameter. The outer spines are 
straight or slightly recurved 6-9 lines long, the lower ones shorter than the others. The two 
lowest lateral spines are darker, and almost form a cross with the two upper dark central spines ; 
the 5 other radial spines are white. The upper central spine is the longest and broadest of all, 
being 12-18 lines long, and \ to 1^- line broad at base, and mostly straight, and directed 
upwards almost contiguous with the radial spines, the circle of which it seems to complete. 
The 3 other central spines are a little shorter, 12-15 lines long, nearly equal among themselves, 
quadrangular compressed, often somewhat curved, dark brown or black when young, with 
lighter tips ; afterwards reddish, and finally of an ashy color. The lowest one has a sharp 
recurved hook, which is whitish on the convex side of the curvature. 
Among the debris of the dead specimens preserved, a number of seeds were found which no 
doubt belong to this species. They are large 1.6—1.7 lines long, and 1.2 lines in diameter, 
very little compressed at the upper part, narrowed down to an acute point below the large 
orbicular liilum, and sharply carinate on the lower part of the back (opposite the hilum.) 
E. Whijoplei evidently belongs to the section Ilamati , found in numerous forms on the middle 
and lower Rio Grande ; with E. polyancistrus it is, so far as at present known, the only 
representative of this section west of the Rocky mountains. It is more nearly allied to E. 
