The Macrogonus Onus: part 1 the macrogonus stories
An investigative meta-review by Keeper Trout.
-----------------------------------
This compilation is intended only to aid private research and is not intended for distribution or publication. It had grown too large so was divided into smaller sections. Part 1 is still in-progress but has finally reached the reference literature excerpt assembly stage and is ready to be edited into a final document. I welcome comments about any errors or omissions. Translations into English, whether from Latin, German, French, Italian or Danish, were intentionally created to be readable rather than literal so paraphrasing will be noticed as commonplace. Please bring any need for corrections or fine-tuning to my attention.
I was unable to determine the copyright holder for some images of people and places. If any image included herein is considered objectionable let me know and I will immediately remove it or will pay fair compensation for its inclusion.
This work never could have been created if not for the University of Texas at Austin's library system and Inter-library loan's help in locating many of these publications. It never could have been completed this far without the existence of some additional amazing digital resources such as CactusPro's online library, Bioheritage Diversity Project, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France who have made the vastly largest part of the old botanical literature available for anyone to access. The people behind those endeavors are true educators.
This review includes what I believe to be copyrighted materials. I also believe that this use of those copyrighted materials within this review falls within "Fair Use" as defined in the "Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include— (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; (2) the nature of the copyrighted work; (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. " I believe that to be true, based on the reason that this article is a scholarly review of historical material which is intended entirely for noncommercial educational purposes. If the copyright laws of another country conflict with this, or even if any copyright owner simply objects to my inclusion of their images, let me know via a PM and I will promptly remove them.
The larger picture involving the name macrogonus
Part one is focused on assembling the literature concerning or mentioning the name Trichocereus macrogonus and presenting images of some horticultural plants known under this name. Parts two through nine present a similar but presently less extensive assemblage of reference materials for pachanoi AKA Albesiano & Kiesling's macrogonus subsp. pachanoi, "the macrogonus formerly known as peruvianus", bridgesii, cuzcoensis, other related trichs, and additional supportive material.
My intention is to put the entirety of Part One online in this forum for public review and discussion.
The present document is 245 pages long but nearly half of that is images.
The contents:
The literature around the name macrogonus -- 7 Cereus macrogonus Otto -- 8 Carl Friedrich Förster. 1846 -- 10 Jos. de Salm-Dyck. 1850. -- 11 J. Labouret. 1853. -- 13 C. F. Förster. 1886 -- 16 W. Watson 1889 -- 18 B. von Ladenberg. 1893. -- 19 De Martius et al. 1899. -- 20
FAC Weber. 1899. K. Schumann. 1899. -- 28 M. Gürke. 1907. -- 35 A. Berger. 1904. -- 36 A. Berger. 1905. -- 39 V. Riccobono. 1909. -- 41 N. L. Britton & J. N. Rose. 1920. -- 45 E. Schelle. 1926. -- 48 A. Berger. 1929. -- 50 A.V. Frič. 1931-1932. -- 52 C. Backeberg (& E. Werdermann). 1931. -- 53 E. Werdermann. 1933. -- 55 Catalogue Jahandiez. 1934. -- 56 Kakteenkunde. 1934. -- 57 H. Blossfeld. 1935. -- 58 K. Kreuzinger. 1935. -- 60 Guillaumin Cactees. 1935. -- 64 C. Backeberg & F. M. Knuth. 1936. -- 65 C. Backeberg. 1937. -- 67 Rimac river & valley map -- 68 J. Borg. 1937. -- 69 J. Borg. 1951. -- 69 C. Backeberg. 1941. -- 70 P. Fournier. 1954. -- 72 H. Johnson. c. 1958-1968. -- 75 C. Backeberg. 1959. -- 76 S. Agurell. 1969. -- 84 G.D. Rowley. 1974. -- 85 H. Krainz. 1975. -- 86 C. Backeberg. 1977. -- 90 D. N. Smith. 1982 -- 94 Smithʼs collection site -- 101 E. F. Anderson. 2001. -- 103 D. H. Hunt & ICSG. 2006. -- 105 S. Albesiano & R. Kiesling. 2012. -- 107
S. Albesiano & T. Terrazas. 2012
P. Jorgensen et al. 2015
J. Lode et al. 2015. Some Cereus weirdness -- 125-134 Cereus bolivianus -- 125 Cereus hempelianus -- 126 Cereus hexagonus -- 128 Cereus heptagonus -- 130 Cereus tetracanthus -- 131 Cereus tephracanthus var. bolivianus -- 131 Cactus catalogs -- 135 NonKnize field collections -- 136 macrogonus in horticulture -- 138
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The literature around the name macrogonus
The identity of Trichocereus macrogonus would seem like an easy thing to determine. Especially as it was declared to be the type for the genus Trichocereus. It has also been discussed in print by at least a handful of experts who were familiar first-hand with the original material growing under cultivation in Berlin, Germany or its progeny under cultivation elsewhere in Europe. There have even been published descriptions and photographs, albeit none very good until surprisingly recent times -- and some creating lasting problems. At present the burden of proof is on anyone to link their modern concept of a macrogonus to what Salm-Dyck described in 1850. It MIGHT be possible using modern molecular tools but interestingly it appears to be more difficult to trace any of the macrogonus in Europe back to Berlin than it appears to be to find it growing in South America. Without the existence of solid links on both ends of that, any pronouncements of synonymity will remain hollow in meaning. This is a peculiar story filled with more new questions than answers. Here is the tale documented as best as the ‘facts’ at hand will permit. Please pardon my ob-alliterative pun of a title.
-------------------------------------
Cereus macrogonus Otto is given by Schumann, Riccobono, Britton & Rose and others as the type species for the genus Trichocereus but no further information about where it appeared in use or print. As far as can be determined, it lacked any earlier description than what seems to have been cowritten by Otto & Salm-Dyck.
Otto = Christoph Friedrich Otto 4 December 1783 (Schneeberg, Saxony) – 7 December 1856 (Berlin)
Otto is often associated with Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link 2 February, 1767 (Hildesheim) – 1 January, 1851 (Berlin)
No matter where the name came from, the first player to enter the scene and leave their name persistently attached to some actual comments about our macrogonus is Jos. de Salm-Dyck.
This image was gleaned from online. I do not know its origin.
Prince Joseph Maria Franz Anton Hubert Ignaz Fürst zu Salm-Reiffersscheid-Dyck 1773 - 1861
The Prince sure does look like he would rather be out in his garden.
It might be remembered that, as is also true for the “soft” schools of martial arts such as Wing Chun, cactus collection in Europe was once entirely the domain of the rich. Namely those people who had both the available free time and the money to devote to doing things that always require a lot of time and money but usually pay nothing.
-----------------------------------
Berol.
AKA
Hortus regius Berolinensis
Botanischer Garten Berlin = Botanischer Garten Dahlem
= Botanischer Garten Berlin-Dahlem the “botanical gardens at Berlin”
As seen in 1909
As seen in 1936
All buildings are said to have been destroyed or to have sustained damage during WWII. Most of their collection of living cacti and the herbarium were lost to the bombing and subsequent water damage followed by cold weather. Berlin's herbarium contained not just herbarium sheets of dried cacti; it also included many intact cactus specimens, sections and parts that were being preserved in liquid in jars. This was obviously only one of many millions of tragedies resulting from that war but it represented an enormous loss to botanical science.
-----------------------------------
Carl Friedrich Förster. 1846. Handbuche der Cacteenkunde
macrogonus was mentioned only in passing; on page 391.
"Zu dieser Untersippe gehören auch: C. macrogonus & tortus H. berol.; d. letztere ist noch sehr selten."
"Also in this branch are C. macrogonus & tortus Hort. Berol; the latter is still very rare."
-----------------------------------
Jos. de Salm-Dyck. 1850. Cacteae in Horto Dyckensi Cultae, Anno 1849
p 46 Cereus macrogonus II. Berol. (59.) "aculeis albidus, saepe apice nigris"
"spines whitish" (implying a soiled white), "with tips blackish" (nigris can imply a black that is a bit rusty)
The epithet in Schumann indicates that this was at least partly written by Otto rather than by Salm-Dyck. Assuming that to be true and taking Förster's comments literally would suggest that Otto wrote the first paragraph and Salm-Dyck the second. They certainly do appear to say much the same thing being voiced by two observers.
p. 203
p. 203 (59) C. Macrogonus II. Berol.
" C. caulo erecto columnari subglaucescenti-læteviride 6—7 angulato, costis turgidis obtusissimis apicem versus obrepandis ad pulvillos crenato-plicatis et colore intensius viride arcuatim notatis, pulvillis confertis griseo-tomentosis, aculeis rigidis abbreviatis brunneis, in pulvillis junioribus 8—10, in senioribus 18—20, erecto-patulis, 3—4 validioribus. (Nob.)
Caulis hucusque 8—10 pollicaris, diametro fere bipollicari. Costæ rotundatæ, faretæ, superne ad pulvillos plicatæ et arcu viridiore notatæ. Pulvilli lin. 3—4 distantos parvuli, grisei. Aculei primo subregulariter disprositi, 7—9 radiantes cum centrali 1; sed mox (aculeis novis enascentibus) sine numero ac ordine normali erecto-patuli, graciles, brunnei, 3—4 paulum validioribus, lin. 5 longis. "
" C. stems erect columnar, subglaucescent light green, 6-7 angular ribs are turgid with a blunt apex, ribs are crenelated-folded, forming the aspect of an inverted wavy-edge towards the areoles, and an intensified green color is noted to follow the arcs. Areoles are sunken and gray-felted, spines rigid, short & brown, in young areoles 8-10, in older areoles 18-20, with 3-4 stiff, sharp-pointed spines that are more powerful. (Nob.) Stem extending 8-10 thumb-widths, almost 2 thumb-widths in diameter. Ribs rounded, faretris [quiver?], above the areoles are folds and curving marks in richer green. Areoles are grey and separated by 3-4 lines. Slender, brown spines that are at first are fairly regularly distributed, with 7-9 radials and 1 central; but soon (in the newly grown spines) form without any order to the numbers, even on the 3-4 that are widely separated and a little more powerful, 5 lines long."
Comments: Lin. = Lines/Linea. This was an English unit of measurement possessing multiple definitions with differing lengths. The one most often used by botanists was 1/12th of an inch. It was never included in the official list of units of measurements. (A machinist's line was 1/10th of an inch but there are several other equivalencies in addition to those two.) However. There is a problem here where I clearly lack some understanding. As a unit of measurement 1/12th of an inch is too short for what is being described when comparing this to the assorted later versions that seem to be mere retellings of this description being expressed in cm. It seems more likely to have used 1/10th of an inch (2.54 mm).
Nob. = "Nobis" "Nobis" means "I/We (did this)" in reference to the describer of the species -- which in this case appeared to be Otto.
pollicari Appears to mean, in this application, a "thumb-width". (Förster later commented that Salm-Dyck's plant was 20-25 cm tall and 5 cm wide so this seems like a reasonable translation.) IMHO the height of a plant in a description should not be based on a rather small potted specimen. Of course that seems like a trivial complaint considering the units of measurement that were being employed.
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J. Labouret. 1853. Monographie de la Famille des Cactées 352
[Cited by Schumann (in Martius) in reference to macrogonus.]
Pertinent points are grey-felted areoles and short brown spines with 3-4 longer spines up to 10 cm appearing irregularly.
p. 352
"65. Cereus Macrogonus (hort. Berol). Synonymie Cereus Macrogonus hort. Berol. --- id. Salm.Cact. in hort. Dyck., cult., p. 203. --- id. Forst. Handb. dr. Cact., p. 391.
Patrie?
Diagnostic. Tige dressée, columnaire, vert gai glaucescent, 6-7 côtes; côtes gonflées, très-obtuses, convexes vers le sommet de la plante, vers les aréoles comme pliées, crénelées, chaque courbure des crénelures est accompagné d'une coloration plus intense; aréoles serées, grises, tomenteuses; aiguillons rigides, courts, bruns, les jeunes aréoles en portent 8-10, les anciennes 18-20, érigées, ouvertes, 3-4 intérieurs plus vigoureux. Tige haute de 20 cent. sur près de 5 de diamètre; côtes arrondies, enflées, comme pliées au-dessus des aréoles et marquèes d'un arc plus prononcé; aréoles grises, petites, éloignées de 9-10 millim.; dans la jeunesse, les aiguillons sont disposés assez régulièrement, 7-9 rayonnants avec 1 central, mais bientôt de nouveaux aiguillons qui apparaissent viennent troubler cet arrangement sans qu'il soit possible de recountaïtre rien de régulier dans leur disposition; les aiguillons sont érigés, étendus, grêles, bruns, 3-4 un peu plus vigoureux que les autres, ont environ 10 cent. de long.
Floraison? Fleurs?
Culture. Serre tempérée pendant l'hiver, plein air en bonne exposition pendant la belle saison. Comme presque tous les Cierges, dressés, columnaires; l'exposition la plus favorable est devant un mur bien exposé en plein midi. "
"65. Cereus Macrogonus (hort. Berol). Synonym Cereus Macrogonus hort. Berol. --- id. Salm.Cact. in hort. Dyck., cult., p. 203. --- id. Forst. Handb. dr. Cact., p. 391.
Homeland?
Diagnostic. Stem erect, columnar, bright green becoming glaucous, 6-7 ribs; sides swollen, very-obtuse, curved toward the apex of the plant, above the areoles it is folded, crenelated, each curvature of the notching is accompanied by a more intense color; areoles are sunken, gray, wooly; spines rigid, short, brown, the young areoles bear 8-10 spines, older areoles 18-20 spines, erect, spreading, 3-4 centrals on the plant are more vigorous than the rest.
Stems 20 cm high and nearly 5 cm in diameter; sides rounded, swollen, with a fold above the areoles and marked with a more pronounced arc [of color]; areoles grayed-out, small, separated by 9-10 mm; in young growth, the spines are produced regularly enough, 7-9 radials with 1 central, but soon new spines appear which disturb this arrangement without it being possible to observe anything regular about their distribution; spines are erect, spreading, slender, browns, 3-4 are a bit more vigorous than the others and are approximately 10 cm long.
Flowering? Flowers?
Culture. Temperate Greenhouse during the winter, full air in good exposure during the nice weather. As with almost all of the erect columnar candelabras; the exposure most favorable is in front of a wall with good midday exposure. "
-----------------------------------
C. F. Förster. 1886. Handbuch der Cacteenkunde in ihrem ganzen Umfange (by Theodor Rümpler) Volume 2: 706. [Carl Friedrich Förster]
Vaterland nicht bekannt. Stamm aufrecht, säulenformig, etwas bläulich. Kanten 6—7, aufgetrieben, sehr abgestumpft, gegen die Spitze hin geschweift, an den Stachelpolstern gekerbt-gefaltet und durch eine lebhafter grüne Bogenlinie markirt. Stachelpolster gedrängt stehend (7—9 mm), klein, graufilzig. Stacheln steif, kurz, braun, auf jüngeren Polstern 8—10, auf älteren 18—20, aufrecht-abstehend, 3—4 länger (11 mm), als die übrigen. Die vom Fürsten Salm wie oben beschriebene Pflanze war 20—25 cm hoch bei einem Durchmesser von fast 5 cm. Die Stacheln stehen anfangs ziemlich regelmässig, 7—9 Randstacheln und 1 Mittelstachel; bald aber vermehrt sich ihre Zahl und die Regelmässigkeit der Anordnung wird dadurch gestört. Blüthen scheint man nicht beobachtet zu haben. "
Homeland unknown. Stem erect, columnar, slightly bluish. Ribs 6-7, swollen, very blunt, curved towards the tip, notched-folded at the areoles and strongly marked by a lively green curving line. Areoles pushed upright [gedrängt stehend] (7-9 mm), small, grey-felted. Spines stiff, short, brown, on younger areoles 8-10, 18-20 on older areoles, upright-spreading, 3-4 are longer (11 mm) than the others. The plant described by Prince Salm was 20-25 cm high with a diameter of almost 5 cm. The spines are initially fairly uniform, 7-9 radial spines and 1 central spine; but soon their numbers increase and the regularity of the arrangement becomes disturbed. Flowers do not appear to have been observed. "
-----------------------------------
W. Watson. 1889. Cactus Culture For Amateurs
The opening illustration in the book Cactus Culture For Amateurs shows a cactus collection that includes an early image of Cereus macrogonus. This is the earliest illustration of this species that I have been able to locate.
-----------------------------------
B. von Ladenberg. 1893. Monatsschrift für Kakteenkunde. 3: 70- . "Die Kakteen und Sukkulenten auf der internationalen Ausstellung in Gent."
On page 71 is a photo of a plant display assembled for the International Exhibition at Gent that features a Cereus macrogonus. The scan that is available online is inadequate to show good detail. This is the oldest photographic image of Cereus macrogonus that I have been able to locate. It is the tall single column on the left of the center assemblage. (The text described macrogonus as being on display in this image.)
Image from page 71:
-----------------------------------
To be continued:
When we continue, an enduring glitch will be thrown into the picture.
The Macrogonus Onus: part 1
the macrogonus stories
An investigative meta-review by Keeper Trout.
-----------------------------------
This compilation is intended only to aid private research and is not intended for distribution or publication. It had grown too large so was divided into smaller sections.
Part 1 is still in-progress but has finally reached the reference literature excerpt assembly stage and is ready to be edited into a final document.
I welcome comments about any errors or omissions.
Translations into English, whether from Latin, German, French, Italian or Danish, were intentionally created to be readable rather than literal so paraphrasing will be noticed as commonplace. Please bring any need for corrections or fine-tuning to my attention.
I was unable to determine the copyright holder for some images of people and places. If any image included herein is considered objectionable let me know and I will immediately remove it or will pay fair compensation for its inclusion.
This work never could have been created if not for the University of Texas at Austin's library system and Inter-library loan's help in locating many of these publications. It never could have been completed this far without the existence of some additional amazing digital resources such as CactusPro's online library, Bioheritage Diversity Project, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France who have made the vastly largest part of the old botanical literature available for anyone to access. The people behind those endeavors are true educators.
Biodiversity Heritage Library
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/Default.aspx
Botanicus
http://www.botanicus.org/browse/titles
Cactus & Succulent Digital Library
http://www.cactuspro.com/bibliø
The single most amazing collection of cactus literature that I am aware of.
Gallica
The digital library of the National library of France.
http://gallica.bnf.fr/?〈=EN
another great resource that was not used in this is
Virtual library del Real Jardín Botánico CSIC
http://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/ing/index.php
This review includes what I believe to be copyrighted materials. I also believe that this use of those copyrighted materials within this review falls within "Fair Use" as defined in the "Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. "
I believe that to be true, based on the reason that this article is a scholarly review of historical material which is intended entirely for noncommercial educational purposes. If the copyright laws of another country conflict with this, or even if any copyright owner simply objects to my inclusion of their images, let me know via a PM and I will promptly remove them.
The larger picture involving the name macrogonus
Part one is focused on assembling the literature concerning or mentioning the name Trichocereus macrogonus and presenting images of some horticultural plants known under this name.
Parts two through nine present a similar but presently less extensive assemblage of reference materials for pachanoi AKA Albesiano & Kiesling's macrogonus subsp. pachanoi, "the macrogonus formerly known as peruvianus", bridgesii, cuzcoensis, other related trichs, and additional supportive material.
My intention is to put the entirety of Part One online in this forum for public review and discussion.
The present document is 245 pages long but nearly half of that is images.
The contents:
The literature around the name macrogonus -- 7
Cereus macrogonus Otto -- 8
Carl Friedrich Förster. 1846 -- 10
Jos. de Salm-Dyck. 1850. -- 11
J. Labouret. 1853. -- 13
C. F. Förster. 1886 -- 16
W. Watson 1889 -- 18
B. von Ladenberg. 1893. -- 19
De Martius et al. 1899. -- 20
FAC Weber. 1899.
K. Schumann. 1899. -- 28
M. Gürke. 1907. -- 35
A. Berger. 1904. -- 36
A. Berger. 1905. -- 39
V. Riccobono. 1909. -- 41
N. L. Britton & J. N. Rose. 1920. -- 45
E. Schelle. 1926. -- 48
A. Berger. 1929. -- 50
A.V. Frič. 1931-1932. -- 52
C. Backeberg (& E. Werdermann). 1931. -- 53
E. Werdermann. 1933. -- 55
Catalogue Jahandiez. 1934. -- 56
Kakteenkunde. 1934. -- 57
H. Blossfeld. 1935. -- 58
K. Kreuzinger. 1935. -- 60
Guillaumin Cactees. 1935. -- 64
C. Backeberg & F. M. Knuth. 1936. -- 65
C. Backeberg. 1937. -- 67
Rimac river & valley map -- 68
J. Borg. 1937. -- 69
J. Borg. 1951. -- 69
C. Backeberg. 1941. -- 70
P. Fournier. 1954. -- 72
H. Johnson. c. 1958-1968. -- 75
C. Backeberg. 1959. -- 76
S. Agurell. 1969. -- 84
G.D. Rowley. 1974. -- 85
H. Krainz. 1975. -- 86
C. Backeberg. 1977. -- 90
D. N. Smith. 1982 -- 94
Smithʼs collection site -- 101
E. F. Anderson. 2001. -- 103
D. H. Hunt & ICSG. 2006. -- 105
S. Albesiano & R. Kiesling. 2012. -- 107
S. Albesiano & T. Terrazas. 2012
P. Jorgensen et al. 2015
J. Lode et al. 2015.
Some Cereus weirdness -- 125-134
Cereus bolivianus -- 125
Cereus hempelianus -- 126
Cereus hexagonus -- 128
Cereus heptagonus -- 130
Cereus tetracanthus -- 131
Cereus tephracanthus var. bolivianus -- 131
Cactus catalogs -- 135
NonKnize field collections -- 136
macrogonus in horticulture -- 138
-----------------------------------
The literature around the name macrogonus
The identity of Trichocereus macrogonus would seem like an easy thing to determine. Especially as it was declared to be the type for the genus Trichocereus. It has also been discussed in print by at least a handful of experts who were familiar first-hand with the original material growing under cultivation in Berlin, Germany or its progeny under cultivation elsewhere in Europe. There have even been published descriptions and photographs, albeit none very good until surprisingly recent times -- and some creating lasting problems.
At present the burden of proof is on anyone to link their modern concept of a macrogonus to what Salm-Dyck described in 1850. It MIGHT be possible using modern molecular tools but interestingly it appears to be more difficult to trace any of the macrogonus in Europe back to Berlin than it appears to be to find it growing in South America. Without the existence of solid links on both ends of that, any pronouncements of synonymity will remain hollow in meaning.
This is a peculiar story filled with more new questions than answers.
Here is the tale documented as best as the ‘facts’ at hand will permit.
Please pardon my ob-alliterative pun of a title.
-------------------------------------
Cereus macrogonus Otto
is given by Schumann, Riccobono, Britton & Rose and others as the type species for the genus Trichocereus but no further information about where it appeared in use or print. As far as can be determined, it lacked any earlier description than what seems to have been cowritten by Otto & Salm-Dyck.
Otto = Christoph Friedrich Otto
4 December 1783 (Schneeberg, Saxony) – 7 December 1856 (Berlin)
Otto is often associated with
Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link
2 February, 1767 (Hildesheim) – 1 January, 1851 (Berlin)
No matter where the name came from, the first player to enter the scene and leave their name persistently attached to some actual comments about our macrogonus is Jos. de Salm-Dyck.
This image was gleaned from online. I do not know its origin.
Prince Joseph Maria Franz Anton Hubert Ignaz Fürst zu Salm-Reiffersscheid-Dyck
1773 - 1861
The Prince sure does look like he would rather be out in his garden.
It might be remembered that, as is also true for the “soft” schools of martial arts such as Wing Chun, cactus collection in Europe was once entirely the domain of the rich. Namely those people who had both the available free time and the money to devote to doing things that always require a lot of time and money but usually pay nothing.
-----------------------------------
Berol.
AKA
Hortus regius Berolinensis
Botanischer Garten Berlin = Botanischer Garten Dahlem
= Botanischer Garten Berlin-Dahlem
the “botanical gardens at Berlin”
As seen in 1909
As seen in 1936
All buildings are said to have been destroyed or to have sustained damage during WWII.
Most of their collection of living cacti and the herbarium were lost to the bombing and subsequent water damage followed by cold weather. Berlin's herbarium contained not just herbarium sheets of dried cacti; it also included many intact cactus specimens, sections and parts that were being preserved in liquid in jars. This was obviously only one of many millions of tragedies resulting from that war but it represented an enormous loss to botanical science.
-----------------------------------
Carl Friedrich Förster. 1846.
Handbuche der Cacteenkunde
macrogonus was mentioned only in passing; on page 391.
"Zu dieser Untersippe gehören auch: C. macrogonus & tortus H. berol.; d. letztere ist noch sehr selten."
"Also in this branch are C. macrogonus & tortus Hort. Berol; the latter is still very rare."
-----------------------------------
Jos. de Salm-Dyck. 1850.
Cacteae in Horto Dyckensi Cultae, Anno 1849
p 46
Cereus macrogonus II. Berol. (59.)
"aculeis albidus, saepe apice nigris"
"spines whitish" (implying a soiled white), "with tips blackish" (nigris can imply a black that is a bit rusty)
The epithet in Schumann indicates that this was at least partly written by Otto rather than by Salm-Dyck. Assuming that to be true and taking Förster's comments literally would suggest that Otto wrote the first paragraph and Salm-Dyck the second. They certainly do appear to say much the same thing being voiced by two observers.
p. 203
p. 203
(59) C. Macrogonus II. Berol.
" C. caulo erecto columnari subglaucescenti-læteviride 6—7 angulato, costis turgidis obtusissimis apicem versus obrepandis ad pulvillos crenato-plicatis et colore intensius viride arcuatim notatis, pulvillis confertis griseo-tomentosis, aculeis rigidis abbreviatis brunneis, in pulvillis junioribus 8—10, in senioribus 18—20, erecto-patulis, 3—4 validioribus. (Nob.)
Caulis hucusque 8—10 pollicaris, diametro fere bipollicari. Costæ rotundatæ, faretæ, superne ad pulvillos plicatæ et arcu viridiore notatæ. Pulvilli lin. 3—4 distantos parvuli, grisei. Aculei primo subregulariter disprositi, 7—9 radiantes cum centrali 1; sed mox (aculeis novis enascentibus) sine numero ac ordine normali erecto-patuli, graciles, brunnei, 3—4 paulum validioribus, lin. 5 longis. "
" C. stems erect columnar, subglaucescent light green, 6-7 angular ribs are turgid with a blunt apex, ribs are crenelated-folded, forming the aspect of an inverted wavy-edge towards the areoles, and an intensified green color is noted to follow the arcs. Areoles are sunken and gray-felted, spines rigid, short & brown, in young areoles 8-10, in older areoles 18-20, with 3-4 stiff, sharp-pointed spines that are more powerful. (Nob.)
Stem extending 8-10 thumb-widths, almost 2 thumb-widths in diameter.
Ribs rounded, faretris [quiver?], above the areoles are folds and curving marks in richer green.
Areoles are grey and separated by 3-4 lines.
Slender, brown spines that are at first are fairly regularly distributed, with 7-9 radials and 1 central; but soon (in the newly grown spines) form without any order to the numbers, even on the 3-4 that are widely separated and a little more powerful, 5 lines long."
Comments:
Lin. = Lines/Linea.
This was an English unit of measurement possessing multiple definitions with differing lengths. The one most often used by botanists was 1/12th of an inch. It was never included in the official list of units of measurements. (A machinist's line was 1/10th of an inch but there are several other equivalencies in addition to those two.)
However. There is a problem here where I clearly lack some understanding. As a unit of measurement 1/12th of an inch is too short for what is being described when comparing this to the assorted later versions that seem to be mere retellings of this description being expressed in cm. It seems more likely to have used 1/10th of an inch (2.54 mm).
Nob. = "Nobis"
"Nobis" means "I/We (did this)" in reference to the describer of the species -- which in this case appeared to be Otto.
pollicari
Appears to mean, in this application, a "thumb-width". (Förster later commented that Salm-Dyck's plant was 20-25 cm tall and 5 cm wide so this seems like a reasonable translation.) IMHO the height of a plant in a description should not be based on a rather small potted specimen. Of course that seems like a trivial complaint considering the units of measurement that were being employed.
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J. Labouret. 1853.
Monographie de la Famille des Cactées 352
[Cited by Schumann (in Martius) in reference to macrogonus.]
Pertinent points are grey-felted areoles and short brown spines with 3-4 longer spines up to 10 cm appearing irregularly.
p. 352
"65. Cereus Macrogonus (hort. Berol).
Synonymie Cereus Macrogonus hort. Berol. --- id. Salm.Cact. in hort. Dyck., cult., p. 203. --- id. Forst. Handb. dr. Cact., p. 391.
Patrie?
Diagnostic. Tige dressée, columnaire, vert gai glaucescent, 6-7 côtes; côtes gonflées, très-obtuses, convexes vers le sommet de la plante, vers les aréoles comme pliées, crénelées, chaque courbure des crénelures est accompagné d'une coloration plus intense; aréoles serées, grises, tomenteuses; aiguillons rigides, courts, bruns, les jeunes aréoles en portent 8-10, les anciennes 18-20, érigées, ouvertes, 3-4 intérieurs plus vigoureux.
Tige haute de 20 cent. sur près de 5 de diamètre; côtes arrondies, enflées, comme pliées au-dessus des aréoles et marquèes d'un arc plus prononcé; aréoles grises, petites, éloignées de 9-10 millim.; dans la jeunesse, les aiguillons sont disposés assez régulièrement, 7-9 rayonnants avec 1 central, mais bientôt de nouveaux aiguillons qui apparaissent viennent troubler cet arrangement sans qu'il soit possible de recountaïtre rien de régulier dans leur disposition; les aiguillons sont érigés, étendus, grêles, bruns, 3-4 un peu plus vigoureux que les autres, ont environ 10 cent. de long.
Floraison? Fleurs?
Culture. Serre tempérée pendant l'hiver, plein air en bonne exposition pendant la belle saison. Comme presque tous les Cierges, dressés, columnaires; l'exposition la plus favorable est devant un mur bien exposé en plein midi. "
"65. Cereus Macrogonus (hort. Berol).
Synonym Cereus Macrogonus hort. Berol. --- id. Salm.Cact. in hort. Dyck., cult., p. 203. --- id. Forst. Handb. dr. Cact., p. 391.
Homeland?
Diagnostic. Stem erect, columnar, bright green becoming glaucous, 6-7 ribs; sides swollen, very-obtuse, curved toward the apex of the plant, above the areoles it is folded, crenelated, each curvature of the notching is accompanied by a more intense color; areoles are sunken, gray, wooly; spines rigid, short, brown, the young areoles bear 8-10 spines, older areoles 18-20 spines, erect, spreading, 3-4 centrals on the plant are more vigorous than the rest.
Stems 20 cm high and nearly 5 cm in diameter; sides rounded, swollen, with a fold above the areoles and marked with a more pronounced arc [of color]; areoles grayed-out, small, separated by 9-10 mm; in young growth, the spines are produced regularly enough, 7-9 radials with 1 central, but soon new spines appear which disturb this arrangement without it being possible to observe anything regular about their distribution; spines are erect, spreading, slender, browns, 3-4 are a bit more vigorous than the others and are approximately 10 cm long.
Flowering? Flowers?
Culture. Temperate Greenhouse during the winter, full air in good exposure during the nice weather. As with almost all of the erect columnar candelabras; the exposure most favorable is in front of a wall with good midday exposure. "
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C. F. Förster. 1886.
Handbuch der Cacteenkunde in ihrem ganzen Umfange (by Theodor Rümpler) Volume 2: 706. [Carl Friedrich Förster]
"18. Cereus macrogonus Hort. berol., Dickkantiger Kerbencactus.
Vaterland nicht bekannt. Stamm aufrecht, säulenformig, etwas bläulich. Kanten 6—7, aufgetrieben, sehr abgestumpft, gegen die Spitze hin geschweift, an den Stachelpolstern gekerbt-gefaltet und durch eine lebhafter grüne Bogenlinie markirt. Stachelpolster gedrängt stehend (7—9 mm), klein, graufilzig. Stacheln steif, kurz, braun, auf jüngeren Polstern 8—10, auf älteren 18—20, aufrecht-abstehend, 3—4 länger (11 mm), als die übrigen.
Die vom Fürsten Salm wie oben beschriebene Pflanze war 20—25 cm hoch bei einem Durchmesser von fast 5 cm.
Die Stacheln stehen anfangs ziemlich regelmässig, 7—9 Randstacheln und 1 Mittelstachel; bald aber vermehrt sich ihre Zahl und die Regelmässigkeit der Anordnung wird dadurch gestört.
Blüthen scheint man nicht beobachtet zu haben. "
"Cereus macrogonus Hort. Berol., Thick-edged Notch-Cactus.
Homeland unknown.
Stem erect, columnar, slightly bluish.
Ribs 6-7, swollen, very blunt, curved towards the tip, notched-folded at the areoles and strongly marked by a lively green curving line. Areoles pushed upright [gedrängt stehend] (7-9 mm), small, grey-felted. Spines stiff, short, brown, on younger areoles 8-10, 18-20 on older areoles, upright-spreading, 3-4 are longer (11 mm) than the others.
The plant described by Prince Salm was 20-25 cm high with a diameter of almost 5 cm.
The spines are initially fairly uniform, 7-9 radial spines and 1 central spine; but soon their numbers increase and the regularity of the arrangement becomes disturbed.
Flowers do not appear to have been observed. "
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W. Watson. 1889.
Cactus Culture For Amateurs
The opening illustration in the book Cactus Culture For Amateurs shows a cactus collection that includes an early image of Cereus macrogonus.
This is the earliest illustration of this species that I have been able to locate.
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B. von Ladenberg. 1893.
Monatsschrift für Kakteenkunde. 3: 70- .
"Die Kakteen und Sukkulenten auf der internationalen Ausstellung in Gent."
On page 71 is a photo of a plant display assembled for the International Exhibition at Gent that features a Cereus macrogonus.
The scan that is available online is inadequate to show good detail.
This is the oldest photographic image of Cereus macrogonus that I have been able to locate. It is the tall single column on the left of the center assemblage. (The text described macrogonus as being on display in this image.)
Image from page 71:
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To be continued:
When we continue, an enduring glitch will be thrown into the picture.
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