6 
CACTUS PETE 
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genus in ‘Handbook Erkenn Gewachse,”’ Vol. 
IT, page 10, in 1831, but the same Cactus phyl- 
lanthus—Linnaeus was used as the type species 
and this was nineteen years after the erection of 
the genus Epsphyllum—Haworth. 
We also find that Phyllocerews—Miquel in 
the “Bulletin Science Physics Natural’’—Neel, 
page 112, published in 1839 was also based 
upon the genus Epiphyllum of Haworth. 
Botany is a science, and like any other science, 
it is governed by certain rules, which must be 
observed, whether we like them or not. If a 
man reads in a book that 2 and 2 makes five, 
and reading it there, he believes that it must be 
so, his belief will not alter the fact that 2 plus 
2 actually make four. If a wild man in the 
jungle should be told that black is white and, in 
his uneducated mind he should continue to be- 
lieve it, his belief, or the belief of his entire 
tribe, or his nation, would not make it so. Facts 
cannot be changed. It is the same with botany. 
The Rules of Botanical Nomenclature, estab- 
lished by the International Congress of Botany, 
prohibit the use of generic names more than 
once. Since this congress is recognized as the 
leading and only authority on botanical nomen- 
clature throughout the entire world, its rules 
must stand. Thus it becomes impossible to con- 
sider the use of the words Phyllocereus or 
Phyllocactus, either in place of the word Epi- 
phyllum for the genus (true species) because of 
already established precedence; or for the hy- 
brids, due to previous usage in describing 
something entirely different (in fact to describe 
a genus, rather than a hybrid) Phyllocereus and 
Phyllocactus are now considered as synonyms 
of the word Epiphyllum. 
Although the usage of the words Phyllo- 
cereus and Phyllocactus still persists, especially 
in Europe, it would seem that these names can- 
not be acceptable, for the fact of mere usage 
does not necessarily prove correctness. 
It is entirely possible to name each individual 
hybrid according to its parentage, by using a 
part of each parent’s name, as example, the 
incidence of a Gasteria crossed with an Aloe, 
which was named Gastraloe. Also the name 
might be indicated by such identification as 

Jungle tree, covered with Bromeliads and Orchids, is typical home of the wild Epiphyllums. 
