Just Interesting ... thought you MIGHT like to see ...

[stefan m.]

Iding succulents is a tad difficult without previous knowledge of succulent types.
Generaly (i) split them into several groups
(ones i grow)
-Crassulaceae(sempervium, crassula, echeveria, kalanchoe, bryophyllum, sedum, cotyledon,graptopetalum, pachyphyllum, aeonium, aichrison and others). Characteristic of this plants is either that the stems are knotted, and symmetrical or in a rosette. Flowers are with 5 petals(with the exception of sempervivum, aeonium, jovibarba, aichrison). They descent from all continets w/o australia. Are easier to grow.
-Aloeae plants have triagular,monocot leaves, varying size(from alpine to tree), may have spines, bumps, spots and weird colors. Unique characteristic is flower spike that resembles aspargus when young, and when mature is filled with tube like yellow and red flowers(exception is haworthia and like with white flowers). Members (now ) are aloe,kumara,aristaloe, aloiendenron, haworthia, gasteria,tulista, haworthopsis, gonialoe, astroloba., aloiampelos.
Most grown in a rossete, or a modified rosette like kumara and haworthia.
-Agavaceae-either large rosette(agave, furcaea,hesperoyucca, manfreda, some yucca) or treelike rosette(other yuccas)
Shape and size varies, produce very large flower spikes. Distantly related is dracaeana, with the draco succulent tree subgroup , nolina(and beacarne) with grass like leaves(and bottle like caudex), the long leaved sanseveria and the (mix between yucca and agave) dasylrion.
(the ones i dont, so not my expertise)
-Aponcyanaeae- Main characterstic is the toxicity, the 5 petal bright flowers, and durability. Shape varies, there are caudeciform species(adenium, pachypodium), or green succulent stems(like cacti), often with stinky flower(ceraria, stapleia,hoodia) and other. Toxic sap, may or may not be white unlike the next one.
-Euphorbiceae- these plants range from leafy shrubs, to succulent spheres, to candelabra cactus immatitions.
As the previous sentence suggested, the plants have EVidently Outright Laughably and Viscously ExpandeD into a wide variety of shapes, some mimicking cacti like astrphytum-euphorbia obesa, cereus-euphobia ingens, pereskia -euphorbia milli and others like aeonium- euphorbia characias, sedum-euphorbia myrsinites. Their toxicity is high (people use it to hunt animals), sap milky , flowers are tube like and small, often either with two round petals, or 5 really small.
-Aizoaceae- unlike the previous two, these ones tend to be more likable, but harder to grow. They are related to cacti,(both are caryophyales,) and have similar flowers. The main difference is that they are strictly knot growers(same kind as crassula and kalanchoe), they are sprawling(no tall plants, usually alpine mound or ground covers), and originate from africa. Fruit tends to be in some capsules, often with dry seeds.
-Senecio is a diverse genus, but main trait its relation to the common dandelion-and its similar flowers. String of pearls(rowleyanus) and blue chalksitcks(serpens).

[the_cheshirecat]

That's brill!!!
Thank you so much!

[WayneByerly]

Iding succulents is a tad difficult without previous knowledge of succulent types.

That is an astonishing knowledge of classifications ... yet once again you display a great knowledge of the succulent world

[stefan m.]

My knowledge is minuscule compared to some members of the forum, and so is my experience. That being said, my experience somewhat exceeds the average grower-because i go for unusual plants.

[WayneByerly]

My knowledge is minuscule compared to some members of the forum..

Certainly greater than mine. Ive only been doing anything regarding growing of cacti and succulents since 2009. So any knowledge that I have would only be considered rudimentary at best ...

[stefan m.]

Well, youve certainly been at it longer than I have. Started growing plants in the first year of high school(gymnasium), and
it occurred to me that i were to better myself at it, would have to learn, to experiment, to succeed,and unfortunately to fail. What actually motivated me to grow cacti and succulents was a mix a of seeing weird plants in a video-game that was set in the mojave, and a vacation to greece, where i saw those weird plants from the game in real life. It sorta piqued my interested-the agave plant and the barrel cactus was very the reason i am here and now discussing plants with you. Of course, its been a very bumpy and treacherous road since, but if better myself even further, it will become easier.

[the_cheshirecat]

seeing weird plants in a video-game that was set in the mojave

Fallout New Vegas?

[stefan m.]

Yep/ Thats the one.

[the_cheshirecat]

Hello fellow nerd!

[stefan m.]

Id rather not discuss games on a cactus forum.

[the_cheshirecat]

I find it funny how the cacti in a post-nuclear Mojave desert were more or less pretty standard, but the ones on this thread have split heads....

[stefan m.]

Youd be surprised, but a lot of nuclear probes did happen in that area in the cold war. I mean, starting from manhanntan, all up to the 60's. So, a part of the dessert is pretty irradiated even now. Also, old rocks(volcanic,like granite) emit radon gas and other isotopes,while not dangerous to humans, over the very long lifespan of some plants, total absorbed dosages would exceed human limits., And I know for a fact theres even cacti growing is saline and toxic soils, and they probably receive UV rays in quantities that would be very "damaging" to a human. Cacti are probably durable to survive that. And the odd part is that the split heads are actually natural. Monstrosity and crestation however, is from what i could gather, due to a biological influence.
But then again, cacti and succulents are mutant plants to begin with .

[WayneByerly]

... emit radon gas and other isotopes,while not dangerous to humans...

NO ionizing radiation is good for you. And radon gas does emit radiation. Which is why Radon Detectors are available here in the United States for the home.

There used to be "health spa's" here in the United States, I cannot remember where, where one could go to old radium mines and breathe that nice healthy radioactive gas. Of course we know better now. But this is not Cactus related so I'll shut my mouth about this.

[stefan m.]

Thats true, but nobody actually breathes heavily enough or frequently enough to affect them in at least 15 years. Hell airlines are exposed to radiation , and nobody seems to even mention this.To quote, if youd bring a detector on a plane it would go off. And a lot of these facts were from a long presentation from a chief engineer in a canadian NPP.(again, im a student in electrical engineering).

[DaveW]

I have been growing just cacti since 1960 and am still learning how to identify and grow them!

As to radon, I was in the building trade and got a letter from a UK local authority in another county in the 1970's asking if I wanted to contract for remedial radon protection under floors of some of their housing in order to prevent the build up of radon gas? Which I declined since I did not want to be crawling around under floors that had a radon build up. Evidently other firms must have done so too for them to go out of their county for contractors. Radon may not be too much of a problem if your out in the open air where the wind blows it away, the problem was it building up under floors and seeping into the houses in areas with higher radon levels.

http://www.ukradon.org/sectors/localauthorities