Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-19
CACTI D Under GLASS
FINE COLLECTION IN NEW YORK
BOTANICAL BARDEN.
More Than 700 Species Of the Cactus
Family Represented-FuIly
1000 Specimens.
From the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post.
Although the New York botanical garden
is so modern an institution. the scientific
directors say that its collection of speci-
mems of the great cactus family is already
one OF the largest of the kind In tho
world. and is. scientifically one of tho
most important, including a majority of the
rarer species, among which are more than
a score which were unknown to science and
are probably unique in botanical garden
group.
Particular attention has been given by
the management to the work Of gathering
fine specimens and different; species OF this
distinctly American plant The collection
now contains fully 1000 specimens -epre-
senting between 700 and 500 species of liy-
ing cactus plants out of about 1900 differ
ent species estimated to be extant. These
specimens are accompanied by notes on tho
ranges and habitats of the separate forms,
on their uses by the Indians in their ma
tive regions. on the names there given to
them and their botanical nomenclature so
lar as aScertafned, together with preserved
specimens Of their flowers and fruits and
photographs of the plants In their natural
surroundings The greater part of the COLI
lection Is now on exhibition In the con-
servatories, the remainder being in the
propagating houses.
Discovery Of the Tree Cactus.
the tree cacu in the garden. which are
the largest In any conservatory. through
the result of researches made by DIR. d.
T. MacDougal. the assistant director. an
nouncement of which is now first made
public In conversation today he said:
THE date of the first recorded discovery
OF the suwarro. or tree cactus. known bo-
tanically Cereus giganteus, has been
customarily given as 1915. and this is ac-
cepted by Sargent in his Silva 1898 Il
was in 1916 that Lieutenant Emory II the
United States army, while IN charge OF
party making survey in search of a route
for a Pacific railroad, came across the tree
cactus in western Arizona, on the ella
river. and he described it in his official re-
port. Botanists heretofore may be said 10
have universally accepted this date as the
time when the suwarro was made known to
civilized man.
when l came to prepare the report of
my botanical explorat tons for the garden
last spring, in Arizona, Sonora, California
and Baja California, 1t occurred TO me that
the path of the early Spanish explorers who
came from the City of Mexico through So
nora into Arizona led over the territory
where this tree cactus grew. L also recalled
the fact that the expeditions were accom-
panied by educated Jesuit priests whose
usual custom to make voluminous and
accurate notes on features of the natural
scenery. 1t seemed to be most improbable
that they could have failed to observe and
make not of so striking a natural product
as the tree cactus, and upon searching the
records l found my views fully confirmed.
"Coronado's expedition across Arizona In
1540-1542 passed through the region inhab-
tied by this singular tree, but the earliest
printed record that has come to notice Is
that which relates to the journey OF Onate
in 1904. In descending into the valley of
the Colorado by way of the valley of what
is now called the Bill Williams Fork, his
company passed through a region in which
the tree is very abundant, and he noted that
the pitahaya was seen in the TERRA cali
ente,' or hot land. No other large arbor-
eous castus which might be COMPOUNDED
with the suwarro is to be found in this re-