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How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 3:55 am
by Download
For example, Cleistocactus winteri subsp. colademono is listed as "extremely rare". Maybe this is an Australian thing, but they are super common here, so common I know own three which were all purchased on separate occasions. In fact, I had way more trouble tracking down Cleistocactus winteri which I managed to find last week.
Re: How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 6:59 am
by MrXeric
I wonder how encounterability data was acquired, since encounterability is highly dependent on location, even within the same country. One should also question how current that data is. I believe cactiguide doesn't provide any "last updated" dates. So it's very likely that the "extremely rare" encounterability of that species may have been true in a particular region of the US several years ago, but it may not be the case elsewhere in the world now.
Re: How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 7:04 am
by teo
My guess would be that the data in the Guide is some years old and not updated. Availability/popularity of plants vary over time
Re: How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 9:48 am
by DaveW
As said above it varies by country, particularly since CITES slowing exchange of plant material between countries and also which species are in fashion. Plants once common can become hard to find once dealers stop propagating them and turn to then more marketable novelties. In fact seed is often now to only way to get starts of some species that were very common when first introduced unless you are lucky enough to find a collector who still has one and can beg an offset from it. But as we all know not all cacti offset easily.
Presumably rarity was based on the experience of the person who first compiled the data and only related to that point in time. It's rather akin to which plants are difficult to grow, it depends on your cultivation and conditions. What is easy for one person is often hard for another. It can also depend on microclimate, some plants will grow well in one greenhouse and not in another or even in a different place in a greenhouse.
Re: How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 1:27 pm
by jerrytheplater
DaveW wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 9:48 am
As said above it varies by country, particularly since CITES slowing exchange of plant material between countries and also which species are in fashion. Plants once common can become hard to find once dealers stop propagating them and turn to then more marketable novelties. In fact seed is often now to only way to get starts of some species that were very common when first introduced unless you are lucky enough to find a collector who still has one and can beg an offset from it. But as we all know not all cacti offset easily.
Presumably rarity was based on the experience of the person who first compiled the data and only related to that point in time. It's rather akin to which plants are difficult to grow, it depends on your cultivation and conditions. What is easy for one person is often hard for another. It can also depend on microclimate, some plants will grow well in one greenhouse and not in another or even in a different place in a greenhouse.
+1
Re: How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:53 am
by Shane
I think the encounterability on Daiv's opinion/experience of how common a plant was back when he made the site back in the early 2000s. It's pretty subjective and as others have noted things change with time
That said, imo it's a great piece of information to have. It's a good check on an ID if you don't have a lot to go on. And it's interesting in general, if not perfect
For a while, my goal has been to someday own a cactus in the "Not in Cultivation" category
Re: How is encounterability decided on the guide?
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 10:06 pm
by daiv
You can click on any of those green headings for an explanation. This window pops up:
https://cactiguide.com/php/explain.html