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I became interested in the genus Echinocereus in the 1950s when I came across
plants of E. fendleri and E. rosei while hiking in the hills and mountains about Las
Cruces, New
Mexico. My interest was further stimulated by Dr Benson's book, The Cacti of Arizona,
Britton and Rose's monograph, the Cactus and Succulent Journal and the fabolous catalogues
of Gates Cactus Garden. I began the Echinocereus Index in the early 1960s as an effort to
produce a list of all the names of species, subspecies, varieties and forms of the genus
Echinocereus. Britton and Rose's monograph provided a starting point, to which were added
names from the Index Kewensis and the Gray Herbarium Card Catalog. Over the intervening
years many other sources have been consulted and the Index revised several times.
Although the genus Echinocereus was not described by Dr. Engelmann until 1848, the first
species which belong to the genus was described by De Candole in 1828 from collections
made by Thomas Coulter in central Mexico. These were Cereus pentalophus and Cereus
cinerascens. Other species were described as Echinocactus or Echinopsis. At the suggestion
of Prince Salm-Dyck, Engelmann (1849) reduced the genus to the rank of subgenus under
Cereus. Labouret (1853) and Coulter (1896) followed Engelmann in placing Echinocereus in
the genus Cereus, but Lemaire (1868), Rümpler (1885), Schumann (1897) and Britton and
Rose (1922) all keep Echinocereus as a separate genus. Most modern taxonomic treatments
also treat Echinocereus as a separate genus. Taylor (1985) added those plants formerly
classed as Wilcoxia to Echinocereus and the index has been revised to reflect this
addition.
Many people have been helpful in creating this index. Some of those who encouraged my
early efforts suich as Dr. Edward Castetter, Dudley Gold, Dale Morrical and Dr. Lyman
Benson, are no longer with us, but without their help the index project would have been
abandoned many years ago. Recently I have had the assistance of many people via the
Cactus_etc e-mail list, in particular Lino Di Martino, Andreas and Martina Ohr, Billie
Beaston, Bill LaHaye, Michael Lange and Mats Hjertson.
The Index has been expanded from just a list of names so that it now icludes the author
and place of publication for each name and information on the type locality and type
specimes. The basionym and a list of nomenclatural synonyms has been added so that the
index can be used as an organized guide to the many names which have been aplied to the
plants in this genus. I hope this index will be of help to everyone interested in the
study, propagation and preservation of these marvellous plants.
Other contents
* Cultivation Notes: 1) Tips on soils, light and temperature re-
quirements, feeding, pest control, potting etc. (by L. Di Martino & L. Gavazzi); 2)
Experiences and advices on sowing, grafting and hybridizing (by Bill Beaston); 3) Report
on cultivation methods and Helminthosporium control in the American Northwest (by Bill
Beaston).
* Choice Forms: a portfolio describing a few peculiar
Echinocereus forms, some of them still rare in collections, and much sought after for
their distinct carachters.
* Close-Ups: a shortly commented, multicoloured gallery of close
encounters with those showy Echinocereus flowers. |
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