Current "accepted" authors

[kari]

Hey y'all, I was wondering who is most widely accepted.
I tend to follow L. Benson's tome, "The Cacti of the United States and Canada", although I also have Del Weniger's "Cacti of Texas". Weniger doesn't always agree with Benson, and Weniger is sadly gone (1999; I presume Benson, too?) so, who do most cactophiles follow these days follow?

This question arose because Billy and I have been discussing the identity of his prickly pear. Benson has "cymochila" listed as a junior synonym of O. macrorhiza; Weniger as valid.

Any thoughts?

kari

[ihc6480]

This question arose because Billy and I have been discussing the identity of his prickly pear.

Careful with the Bill(y) stuff

Cool, some reference material to check into acquiring

Bill

[daiv]

I've got Benson's book, but not the other. I think the info in both works will become outdated if and when someone finally decides to do the appropriate fieldwork on Opuntias. I've been fortunate enough to have some e-mail dialog with Dave Fergusson of the Rio Grande Botanic Garden who is as well studied on Opuntia as anyone. He's made comments on several of the species on CactiGuide.com and I've listed those comments on each page. He has stressed to me in all dialog about Opuntia identity two things. First that the existing Opuntia naming is inadequate and second that a lot more work needs to be done. I wish the Government would give him a big fat grant so he could clear this up for all of us

[kari]

Amen to that, Daiv! (about the grant) Also, who has resurrected or transferred all the various genera, like Escobaria, Astrophytum, all the others?

BILL, I did not intentionally write Billy, that was our ghost. No really, It was a complete mistake/typo, WILL YA EVER FERGIVE ME!?

okbye.

kari

[ihc6480]

WILL YA EVER FERGIVE ME!?

Uh, maybe OK, your forgiven