Need help?

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
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kiko
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Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:35 pm

Need help?

Post 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
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Melt In The Sun
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Location: Tucson, AZ

Post by Melt In The Sun »

Echinocereus rigidissimus var. rubrispinus
kiko
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Post by kiko »

I see why it is purple now..
Thanks! :)
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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

Small technicality, rubispinus, no R.
peterb
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Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA

Post 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
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phil_SK
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Location: Stockport, UK

Post 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!
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Melt In The Sun
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Post by Melt In The Sun »

Sorry! Geez...gimme a break :D

Now I know!
peterb
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Post by peterb »

ha, nothing personal. :-)

peterb
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