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North American Species of Cactus
North American Species
of Cactus
by John M。 Coulter。
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North American Species of Cactus
U。S。 Department of AgricultureDivision of Botany
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE U。 S。 NATIONAL HERBARIUM Vol。
IIINo。 2 Issued June 10； 1894 Preliminary Revision of the North
American Species of Cactus； Anhalonium； and Lophophora。byJohn M。
Coulter。 Published by Authority of the Secretary of Agriculture
WashingtonGovernment Printing Office1894 LETTER OF
TRANSMITTAL U。 S。 Department of AgricultureDivision of
BotanyWashington； D。 C。； March 21； 1894 SIR：I have the honor to
transmit herewith； for publication as Vol。 III； No。 2； of Contributions from
the U。 S。 National Herbarium； a Preliminary Revision of the North
American species of Cactus； Anhalonium； and Lophophora； by President
John M。 Coulter。 Respectfully；Frederick V。 Coville；Chief of the Division
of Botany。 Hon。 J。 Sterling Morton；Secretary of Agriculture。
PRELIMINARY REVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN
SPECIES OF CACTUS； ANHALONIUM； AND LOPHOPHORA。
Prefatory Note。 In the fall of 1890 Dr。 George Vasey； then Botanist of the
Department of Agriculture； arranged with me to prepare a revision of
North American Cactaceae。Owing to the peculiar difficulty of preserving
material the family was poorly represented； even in our leading
herbaria。To secure a large amount of additional material in the way of
specimens and field notes the Department authorized me to visit the region
of the Mexican boundary during the summer of 1891。Preliminary to this
exploration it was necessary to examine the Engelmann collection of
Cactaceae； in the possession of the Missouri Botanical Garden。This
collection； supplemented by the continual additions made at the garden； is
by far the largest collection of skeletons and living specimens in this
country； and also contains the large majority of our types。
In March； 1891； I visited this collection and made such notes as
seemed necessary for use in the field； and in June； accompanied by Mr。 W。
H。 Evans and Mr。 G。 C。 Nealley； I began field work in the neighborhood of
El Paso； Tex。After ten days of exploration it was necessary for me to leave
the field work in charge of Mr。 Evans； who； with Mr。 Nealley； continued
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North American Species of Cactus
work westward； during July and a part of August； to southern California；
along the Southern Pacific Railway。As a result a large number of complete
plant bodies was secured； but very few of them were in flower and the
field notes indicated little besides collection stations。During the following
fall and winter preliminary determinations of this material were made by
Mr。 Evans。 In the fall of 1892 critical study of this and other collections
was begun in connection with my assistants； Dr。 Elmon M。 Fisher and Mr。
Edwin B。 Uline； who have ever since rendered constant and most import
assistance in the examination of material and bibliography； which alone
has made the work possible in the midst of other pressing duties。
In the spring of 1893 these two gentlemen spent several weeks at the
Missouri Botanical Garden in the critical study of its rich material； and
during the latter part of their stay I assisted in the work。Dr。 William
Trelease； the director of the garden； had hastened the arrangement of the
Engelmann material； and had mounted in convenient form the large mass
of notes left by Dr。 Engelmann。These notes contained not only critical
remarks upon known species； but also the diagnoses of many unpublished
species which had come into his hands； notably those collected by Mr。
William Gabb in 1867 in Lower California。The collections that have thus
far been studied are：
（1） Those of the Missouri Botanical Garden； and thanks are especially
due to Dr。 Trelease for his generous cooperation in the use of this material；
without which the work would have been impossible。
（2） Those of the Department of Agriculture； including the results of
several recent explorations； for the use of which I am indebted to Mr。
Frederick V。 Coville。
（3） Those of the Gray Herbarium at Harvard University； which Dr。 B。
L。 Robinson kindly placed at my disposal。
（4） Those of the California Academy of Sciences； notably rich in forms
from Lower California and the adjacent islands； kindly loaned by Mr。 T。 S。
Brandegee。
（5） Those of Dr。 Louis Eschanzier； of San Luis Potosi； Mexico； who
send a large series of Mexican forms collected in 1891。
（6） Numerous small sets from different correspondents； who have
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North American Species of Cactus
given both time and material in aiding the work。
It is needless to say that Dr。 George Engelmann； the great pioneer
student of this difficult family； has opened the paths in which we must
follow； and it was exceedingly unfortunate that he was not able to
complete the final revision that he had in mind。
The difficulties which beset the critical study of this group can not be
easily exaggerated。Such scanty material as has been collected has been for
the most part very incomplete； consisting of plant bodies without flower or
fruit； flower or fruit without plant bodies； and bunches of spines without
either。The species are displayed also in the most inaccessible regions； and
their culmination is found in the still poorly known regions of Mexico。
On account of their singular forms and often brilliant flowers they
have long been extensively cultivated； especially in Europe。 These
cultivated forms have formed the basis of original descriptions in almost
all of the European publications； and in very rare cases have any types
been preserved。As a result； the bibliography of Cactaceae is appalling； and
it is questionable whether satisfactory conclusions can be reached in the
case of hundreds of published names。The earlier descriptions were not
only meager； but were based upon what are now regarded very insufficient
characters； and in the absence of types it is not only unsafe； but impossible
to venture an opinion concerning their identity。In view of these facts； I
have thought it advisable to present a preliminary revision of the order；
which shall contain the results of the study of material confessedly
insufficient。With such knowledge as we possess brought together； it is
hoped that the study of this very interesting and much neglected group will
be stimulated； and that more critical exploration of our southwestern
territory and adjacent Mexico will make a more satisfactory presentation
possible。It would be useless to notice the vast number of reputed species
that are not represented by actual specimens in our possession。
In the proposed preliminary account of the family； of which the
present paper is the first part； only those genera are considered which form
a part of the flora of the United States； and those species which I have
been able to examine and to identify with reasonable certainty。All forms
credited to the United States have been studied； and the account of these
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North American Species of Cactus
species may be considered fairly complete； but the far more numerous
Mexican species are but scantily represented。The Mexican boundary is so
unnatural a dividing line in the distribution of Cactaceae that it has been
disregarded； and all the species studied have been arranged in a lineal
series of uniform prominen