The North American Species of [26]
part of the tubercle) and bearing a dense penicellate tuft of long soft hairs which conceals the lower part of the flower and the entire fruit and persists about the apical region of the plant as matted and apparently axillary wool: ovary naked: seeds large, black, and tuberculate: embryo obovate, straight.
According to the present views concerning generic limitations in Cactaceae, Anhalonium must certainly be kept distinct from Mamillaria, and to such a view Dr. Engelmann had finally come. The generic distinction is based upon such characters as (1) the complete suppression of the spine-bearing areolae; (2) the strong differentiation of the tubercles into two very distinct regions; (3) the production of the flower at the apex of the basal or penduncle-like portion (which becomes flattened and expanded at maturity) of a very young tubercle; and (4) the large tuberculate seeds.
In the case of engelmanni the broad woolly groove of the upper portion of the tubercle expands below into the flower-bearing areola, but terminates blindly above just behind the sharp apex. In prismaticum and furfuraceum the groove is obliterated, but there usually remains a small (more or less tufted) areola and depression just behind the apex to mark its upper extremity. This apical areola therefore, does not represent a spine-bearing areola, but the closed upper extremity of a tubercle groove.
It seems evident that Anhalonium is a much modified Cactus, and that its affinity is with the coryphanths, through such a species as C. macromeris, in which the flower becomes extra-axillary. If in macromeris, with the flower standing well up on the tubercle, the portions of the tubercle above and below the flower should become very different from each other, the upper portion being so much modified as to cause the spine-bearing areola to be obliterated, the condition of things in Anhalonium would be obtained.
* Upper surface of tubercle with a broad and deep wool-bearing longitudinal groove which widens below.
1. Anhalonium engelmanni Lem. Cact 42 (1839).
Mamillaria fissurata Engelm. Syn. Cact. 270 (1856). Anhalonium fissuratum Engelm. Bot. Mex. Bound. 75 (1859).
Depressed globose or flat, top-shaped below and tapering into a thick root, 5 to 12 cm. in diameter: tubercles (upper portion) appressed-imbricate, 12 to 18 mm. long and about as wide at base, the upper surface convex and variously fissured (presenting an irregular warty appearance) even to the edges: flowers apparently central, about 2.5 cm. long and broad, shading from whitish to rose: fruit oval, pale green, about 10 mm. long: seeds 1.6 mm. long. (Ill. Bot. Mex. Bound. t. 16) Type unknown; but specimens of Wright, Bigelow, and Parry in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. are the basis of Engelmann's Mamillaria fissurata.
On limestone hills, in the "Great Bend" region of the Rio Grande in Texas, and southward into Coahuila. Fl. September-October.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1850; Bigelow of 1852; Parry, with no number or date; Lloyd of 1890; Evans of 1891; Briggs of 1892): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
This species is very closely related to the Mexican A. kotchubeyi Lem. (A. sulcatum Salm-Dyck), but unfortunately no type of that species seems to be in existence, and Dr. Engelmann notes (Mex. Bound. Rep. 75) that "it seems no living or dead specimen is at present extant in Europe." Judging from the description, the upper surface of the tubercles in A. kotchubeyi, aside from the central furrow, is smooth; at least the margin is "very entire."
** Upper surface of tubercle not grooved, but usually with a tomentose pulvillus at the tip.
2. Anhalonium prismaticum Lem. Cact. 1 (1839).
Mamillaria prismatica Lem. Hort. Univ. i. 231 (1839). Cactus prismaticus Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Flat above, top-shaped below, 7.5 to 12.5 cm. in diameter: tubercles (upper portion) close]y imbricate but squarrose- spreading, sharply triangular-pyramidal and very acute (with a sharp cartilaginous tip, which usually disappears with
According to the present views concerning generic limitations in Cactaceae, Anhalonium must certainly be kept distinct from Mamillaria, and to such a view Dr. Engelmann had finally come. The generic distinction is based upon such characters as (1) the complete suppression of the spine-bearing areolae; (2) the strong differentiation of the tubercles into two very distinct regions; (3) the production of the flower at the apex of the basal or penduncle-like portion (which becomes flattened and expanded at maturity) of a very young tubercle; and (4) the large tuberculate seeds.
In the case of engelmanni the broad woolly groove of the upper portion of the tubercle expands below into the flower-bearing areola, but terminates blindly above just behind the sharp apex. In prismaticum and furfuraceum the groove is obliterated, but there usually remains a small (more or less tufted) areola and depression just behind the apex to mark its upper extremity. This apical areola therefore, does not represent a spine-bearing areola, but the closed upper extremity of a tubercle groove.
It seems evident that Anhalonium is a much modified Cactus, and that its affinity is with the coryphanths, through such a species as C. macromeris, in which the flower becomes extra-axillary. If in macromeris, with the flower standing well up on the tubercle, the portions of the tubercle above and below the flower should become very different from each other, the upper portion being so much modified as to cause the spine-bearing areola to be obliterated, the condition of things in Anhalonium would be obtained.
* Upper surface of tubercle with a broad and deep wool-bearing longitudinal groove which widens below.
1. Anhalonium engelmanni Lem. Cact 42 (1839).
Mamillaria fissurata Engelm. Syn. Cact. 270 (1856). Anhalonium fissuratum Engelm. Bot. Mex. Bound. 75 (1859).
Depressed globose or flat, top-shaped below and tapering into a thick root, 5 to 12 cm. in diameter: tubercles (upper portion) appressed-imbricate, 12 to 18 mm. long and about as wide at base, the upper surface convex and variously fissured (presenting an irregular warty appearance) even to the edges: flowers apparently central, about 2.5 cm. long and broad, shading from whitish to rose: fruit oval, pale green, about 10 mm. long: seeds 1.6 mm. long. (Ill. Bot. Mex. Bound. t. 16) Type unknown; but specimens of Wright, Bigelow, and Parry in Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. are the basis of Engelmann's Mamillaria fissurata.
On limestone hills, in the "Great Bend" region of the Rio Grande in Texas, and southward into Coahuila. Fl. September-October.
Specimens examined: Texas (Wright of 1850; Bigelow of 1852; Parry, with no number or date; Lloyd of 1890; Evans of 1891; Briggs of 1892): also growing in Mo. Bot. Gard. 1893.
This species is very closely related to the Mexican A. kotchubeyi Lem. (A. sulcatum Salm-Dyck), but unfortunately no type of that species seems to be in existence, and Dr. Engelmann notes (Mex. Bound. Rep. 75) that "it seems no living or dead specimen is at present extant in Europe." Judging from the description, the upper surface of the tubercles in A. kotchubeyi, aside from the central furrow, is smooth; at least the margin is "very entire."
** Upper surface of tubercle not grooved, but usually with a tomentose pulvillus at the tip.
2. Anhalonium prismaticum Lem. Cact. 1 (1839).
Mamillaria prismatica Lem. Hort. Univ. i. 231 (1839). Cactus prismaticus Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 261 (1891).
Flat above, top-shaped below, 7.5 to 12.5 cm. in diameter: tubercles (upper portion) close]y imbricate but squarrose- spreading, sharply triangular-pyramidal and very acute (with a sharp cartilaginous tip, which usually disappears with