Pediocactus hermannii

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iann
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Pediocactus hermannii

Post by iann »

I had to look it up. P. hermannii is a very old synonym of P. simpsonii var simpsonii. Even Hochstatter doesn't recognise it as a separate entity. Does anyone? I don't think you're ever going to find a picture of it.
--ian
peterb
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Post by peterb »

The type is deposited at the Douglas Herbarium at the Desert Botanical Garden here in Phoenix. I wonder if Anderson had a gander at the herbarium specimen and it led him to retain hermannii in _The Cactus Family_?

It does seem odd that it's kept separate. Marshall even reduced it to a variety of simpsonii about 3 years after it was published as a species, in 1957.

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daiv
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Post by daiv »

I looked around on the various data bases and it appears that nobody else lists it.

Anderson usually comments if he does something unique. Didn't mention looking at any specimens, but does say this:
Pediocactus hermannii is poorly known and may simply be a population of P. simpsonii.
Which means we can pretty much conclude this name is bunkum.

I really need to get back to adding more taxonomy to the system! So much to do so little time!
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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