Subject: Plants

From: Christoph Metelmann <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 May 1995 05:29:15 +0100

To: [email-masked] 

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As a starter let me state that I am living in Denmark since
1982, but lived in the USA before in just about all states.  
I can read USENET but would prefer a direct email answer:
          [email-masked]
Thank you in advance.

1;  In order to standardize my set up I am using "National
List of Scientific Plant Names"  United States Department of
Agriculture Soil Conservation Service SCS-TP-159 issued Janua-
ry 1982.  In Volume 2 "Synonymy" on page 82 is stated CAR-
NEGIEA GIGANTEA should be CEREUS GIGANTEUS.  But I recently
heard the opposite, meaning that Carnegiea is now accepted
(for example in Biology of Plants by Raven, Evert, and Eich-
horn fifth edition page 382).

Question alpha:  Is there someplace a list similar to the
National List of Scientific Plant Names on the net and if yes
where can I find it and how do I use it?

Question beta: Is the information I heard about Carnegiea
correct or is there still a question about its validity?

2;  Recently at the Botanical Library of the University of
Copenhagen I saw the new book by John T. Kartesz: A Synonymi-
zed checklist of the vascular flora of the United States,
Canada, and Greenland.  Second edition 1994.  After checking
some entries against my own slides, I discovered that I had
photographed something not in the book.  The specifics are:
ECHIUM WILDPRETII - the local person I spoke with called it
Tower of Jewel (the plants are good 15 feet tall).  Date
slides taken 23 May 1984.  Place:  San Mateo County; go from
Half Moon Bay on 92 towards the Skyline Blvd. along the Pilar-
citos creek.  When the Valley gets narrower watch on the left
side of the road at least 30 feet up on the hillside.  For a
reference and picture of the plant see "The Guiness Guide to
Plants of the World" 1991 page 131.

Question gamma: I think this is an extremely local population
of those plants and they where probably introduced, but are
they still there?

Question delta: Is this population known and should it have
been included in the book or is it considered a garden plant?

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Thank you for your help  --  Chris

Christoph Metelmann