Anhalonium

Anhalonium Lem., nom. illeg. (1839)

🌵 Author(s)	Charles Lemaire
🌵 Published in	Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov.: 1, 102, 110 (1839)
🌵 Type	Anhalonium prismaticum

Etymology

Greek an- ‘without’ + Greek halōnion, used by Lemaire for ‘areole’ (Lemaire: “Etymologia. Ἀ, a priv[atif]; Ἁλωνιον, ου τό, areola, aréole“; see also Echinocactus horizonthalonius). Sometimes spelled Analonium. For the supposed absence of areoles on the tubercles (Lemaire: “tuberculis exareolatis”). Lemaire later regretted this choice of name. From his description of Anhalonium areolosum (Latin ārĕŏla ‘areole’ + Latin –о̄sus ‘full of’): “[I]f only we could, without causing disturbance in the nomenclature, change this now inaccurate denomination?” (Ill. Hort. vi. Misc.: 35. 1859).

Although Anhalonium is a synonym of Ariocarpus, the name was mainly associated with Anhalonium williamsii (= Lophophora williamsii) in the 20th century. The genus Anhaloniopsis was named after its similarity to that species. Anhalonine is an alkaloid isolated from Lophophora williamsii.