new cactus lexicon question

[daniel82]

Does anyone know if there is plans for a second edition of the ncl still?

[DaveW]

David Hunt is still posting updates in his Cactaceae Consensus Initiatives, which are now being distributed by email to subscribers rather than in printed form. Therefore presumably there will be some form of update.

http://www.newcactuslexicon.org/other_t ... 20si19.htm

The problem is the NCL was based mainly on morphology which DNA Sequencing has knocked a considerable number of holes in, so really to make a proper job both volumes would really need updating and the pictures re-ordering to reflect the revised classification. Something more easily done with an online publication than a printed one.

There was some updating in the cut down version of the pictures "Atlas", though the pictures themselves were not re-ordered, but I am not sure if that is still in print?

http://www.newcactuslexicon.org/

There is a contact address here for information from David Hunt:-

http://www.newcactuslexicon.org/other_titles/index.htm

The CITES Cactaceae checklist is also online.

http://assets.kew.org/files/Cites%20Cac ... 2017_0.pdf

[ralphrmartin]

You might want to have a look at Joel Lodé's "Taxonomy of the Cactaceae" book for a treatment based on a more scientific approach, centred on DNA research results. The NCL is based on morphology, which at times is seriously misleading (e.g. DNA shows Rebutia and Aylostera to be rather distantly related, even though they look quite similar).

[Phil_SK]

Does anyone know if there is plans for a second edition of the ncl still?

That is still David's plan. Through Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives 36 - 38 (May, September and November 2017), he has been publishing draft versions of generic treatments for comment, and has so far tackled Acanthocereus, Austrocactus, Borzicactus, Cleistocactus, Selenicereus, Arrojadoa, Austrocylindropuntia, Bragaia, Brasilicereus, Brasiliopuntia, Browningia, Cephalocereus, Cereus, Cipocereus, Colecephalocereus, Corryocactus, Corynopuntia, Coryphantha, Cumulopuntia, Discocactus and Pereskiopsis. Copiapoa was also 'done' as a trial in CSI 35 (December 2016). CSI --> 36 were paper only, CSI 37 was pdf only (so far as I know) and I received a paper edition of CSI 38 with a note to say that he was continuing paper copies due to demand... not sure if pdfs are also available.
From CSI 35

As the updated text of the NCL [...] will also be available shortly as a free download

The text of the NCL download will also be in single columns, rather than double"

From CSI 36

Eventually I may make the whole of the updated NCL text available as a download

The rate at which CSI is being published has increased, suggesting that his energies are concentrated on the NCL project, which bodes well for a future edition.
The only slight warning I would make is that his plans of what he's going to publish, and its format, tends to change from time to time.

[daniel82]

Thank you for the information. Still undecided as to which big reference book I'd like, if money were no object then I'd have several.

[DaveW]

Useful as they are, all printed works on cacti are out of date as soon as printed regarding encompassing all species as well as being the definitive classification. DNA Sequencing is still in it's infancy yet and also still requires that they identify the correct material the findings are based on, which is also sometimes disputed.

[daniel82]

I know Dave, but I like books

There is a lot of information on the web ( i would say goodinformation but as anyone can put anything they like ....)

A good reference book is always a great start when looking something up for me anyway.

[DaveW]

So do I, I have a wardrobe shelved and stacked full of cactus books. Just think how many I would have had if I grew Other Succulents as well.

I gave up counting a decade or more ago when I got to 1500 cactus books and journals. But as soon as you get one another comes out. Unfortunately classifications are never static, so books will never be up to date.

As I download the new E-Books and journals to the computer, the next thing will be disk space if all go online.