Engelmann, George Feb. 6, [1845] [7] (seq. 141)

♀ {female} Cereus ! caespitosus contin:
A singular plant, probably a Cereus of reduced dimensions
and near C. reductus DC, or an Echinocactus of
the smallest size and of a cespitose growth? — The heads
are from one to two inches in diameter, and a little
higher than broad; among our specimens are some
growing out of the side of another one and others
growing out of its top, Opuntia-like! — we find
from 12 to 17 but mostly 15 ribs, evidently formed by
confluent tubercles, each of which bears on top a
bunch of about 20 to 26 spines, from 1-2 lines long
radiating from an oblong or lanceolate spot, longest
on the sides, and curved backwards or rather into the
grooves. Flowers not seen, but apparently originating
between two clusters of spines and at base
surrounded by long wool.

Besides these 8 species we find in Mr Lindheimer's
letters mention made of a 9th species, "a small
curious six angled Cactus on the silicous
hills near La Grange" but we do not find any
specimens in the collection.
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My dear Doctor you will get these Cactus alive
as soon as the weather will permit it. I hope
you can compare them with living specimens of
Mammillaria simplex, {M.} vivpara & Opuntia fragilis,
to decide of their identity or difference. — Vesicaria
auriculata I forgot to send you. I will send it in
a pamphlet, as also some other plants, which though
not in numbers to be distributed, we ought to
publish; — so a new Pterocaulon also. —

I have gotten your letter of Dec. Jan 4th
and you will have mine of Jan 11th and also
the plants sent by Kimm, and the seeds.
You are right in what you say of L's collecting
but I hope he will do better in the perfectly
new regions, where he now is. — I have also
tubers bulbs of Asclepias lindheimeri; as also bulbs of different
Cooperiae and Amaryllis (about 4 species in all). —
Can we publish in the April Nro of Silliman Journal?
It would be desirable. In a few weeks I will
send you all my manuscript, and begin