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Need help?

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:57 pm
by kiko
Hi. I just bought this cute little thing 2 days ago and needed help with its ID. I'm guessing its a Mammillaria Something? :?

PS: why my cactus purple in colour on top (as shown below)? Im new to raising cactus :|

Image
Image

Advices needed
Thanks in advance! :D

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:10 pm
by Melt In The Sun
Echinocereus rigidissimus var. rubrispinus

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:19 pm
by kiko
I see why it is purple now..
Thanks! :)

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:34 pm
by CoronaCactus
Small technicality, rubispinus, no R.

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:50 pm
by peterb
and probably not rubispinus at all, but just a colorful clone of rigidissimus.

This is one of my little pet peeves in the cactus world these days, the overuse of rubispinus. The epithet was originally intended for an anomalous population of rigidissimus in the Chihuahuan Desert, definitely adapted to a cold, dry winter and heavy summer rains and with some subtle but noticeable differences from the much more common Sonoran rigidissimus, which is adapted to biseasonal rains, including a very noticeable, uniform "ruby" red spine color with very little yellow. The picture at Desert Tropicals is a good one of a real rubispinus:

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/ ... pinus.html

Lots of plain old regular Sonoran rigidissimus with sort of ruby colored spines are now going under the name "rubispinus" and they are most certainly not this very special form.

end of rant.

peterb

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:15 pm
by phil_SK
I have the same pet peeve about Tephrocactus articulatus v. papyracanthus only in this case it isn't even a distinct form!

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:18 pm
by Melt In The Sun
Sorry! Geez...gimme a break :D

Now I know!

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:28 pm
by peterb
ha, nothing personal. :-)

peterb