Cacti Identification Assistance

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
Post Reply
d-how
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 2:35 pm

Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by d-how »

I recently purchased three cacti. I need help identifying all three so I can learn how to take care of them. Thank you VERY much!!
Attachments
CactusPlants.jpg
CactusPlants.jpg (48.5 KiB) Viewed 1403 times
rgiesecke
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:06 am
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by rgiesecke »

Mammillaria gracilis and Mammillaria elongata across the top. Bottom one looks like it may be a Mammillaria sp as well.
"Horticulture, after all, is a mode of articulating and feeling time."
User avatar
Saxicola
Posts: 1759
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:31 pm
Location: Los Angeles area, California

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by Saxicola »

I agree. Bottom one looks like M. magnimamma.
I'm now selling plants on Ebay. Check it out! Kyle's Plants
george76904
Posts: 487
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Americus GA

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by george76904 »

The top two are definitely right but I would say mammillaria mystax on the bottom one.
DaveW
Posts: 7376
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by DaveW »

The two back plants have been grown in very poor light, probably in the store, and have etiolated. They obviously need to be in better light, but don't put them in full sun too quickly as they may be tender and burn. Cacti are really not house plants in the sense they can be grown anywhere in the room but needing to be near to a window for maximum light intensity. However watch they do not burn behind glass. You can even put them outside in summer when all danger of frost is past.

http://www.csssj.org/welcome_visitors/b ... lture.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
d-how
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 2:35 pm

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by d-how »

Thank you all very much. This info is very helpful. DaveW, I am curious how you can tell the two in the back have been grown in poor light. While you are correct, I did buy these at Home Depot, the one on the left has grown almost an inch since I bought it a month ago. The one on the right has grown quite a bit, too, but not as much. I don't doubt they need more light, but they seem to be doing very well. (But, again, I'm new to growing cacti.)
DaveW
Posts: 7376
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by DaveW »

Don't worry we all have to learn to cultivate cacti. It's what is known as etiolation. The plant becomes longer and lighter green with a greater distance between the areoles and spines than is normal due to lack of light intensity. Unlike many house plants most cacti are high light intensity plants used to much sunnier conditions than the interior of a room will provide. They usually have to be grown on the windowsill for maximum light.

A lot of people new to cacti think if they get rapid green growth similar to other plants that are doing well, but cacti are really slower growing than your average house plant and will produce lank light green growth if grown in poor light and be poorer flowering. For instance here is a picture of your back right hand plant Mammillaria elongata grown well in good light:-

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... ongata.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For Etiolation see:-

http://cactiguide.com/cactipests/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
d-how
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 2:35 pm

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by d-how »

Thank you for your comments and help. I really do appreciate it. Looks like I have work to do!! :)
Atozbotanicals
Posts: 201
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:22 am
Location: Lewisville,TX, USA
Contact:

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by Atozbotanicals »

Back right is an etiolated Mammillaria microhelia, back left looks like Mammillaria gracilis, front is either Mammillaria mystax or Mammillaria nejapensis
17 year old Cactus enthusiast specializing in hard growing North American species.
User avatar
ElieEstephane
Posts: 2909
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)

Re: Cacti Identification Assistance

Post by ElieEstephane »

Mammillaria microhelia is usually single stemmed and will have some centrals toward the apex. This is a regular M. Elongata. If you are referring to maybe the hybrid pink nymph, that also has centrals
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
Post Reply