couple of flowers and buds

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:57 am

i have just researched it (looked it up on the internet and books) and found that its called 'thigmotactic anthers'. prickly pears and lophophoras are supposed to have this function.

i made a very quick video of this on my digital camera if you guys are interested?

(perhaps this should be a new topic?)
:

(sorry about quality)

Tom2643 · Post by **Tom2643** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:34 am

oh man, when we get in opuntia at work the first thing i do is go touch all the flowers and watch the stamens move! My boss thinks i'm nuts, I think its a hoot. My guess is they do it so that any pollinator gets more thoroughly covered in pollen increasing the likelyhood that it will pollinate another flower elsewhere. It certainly is fun regardless of why they do it.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:32 am

hehe yes it is fun

I think i tired this one out!
Is this a typical feature of the Coryphantha genus?

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:11 am

Thats interesting, it moved really fast, almost like it wanted to trap your finger.

Great flowers there Lewis, im jealous/ashamed, only 2 of my cacti are flowering, one Mamm and my Parodia

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:35 am

no need to be jealous/ashamed, they flower when they are ready. Only a few of mine are flowering now, most have already finished. I just discovered a bud on my Lophophora williamsii, the first of mine, will post pics when it opens.

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:53 am

You better

Post by **daiv** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:44 pm

Huh? I was not even aware of this feature. Thanks for the video! Come spring time, I am going to poke away at my flowers and see how they react.

lordarutha · Post by **lordarutha** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:19 pm

Brilliant, thanks for posting that, I have never seen it before.

Tom2643 · Post by **Tom2643** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:24 am

daiv wrote:Huh? I was not even aware of this feature. Thanks for the video! Come spring time, I am going to poke away at my flowers and see how they react.

If you have any opuntias that flower, i've never met one that doesn't do this. And they contain about 5 times as many anthers so its even more dramatic.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:46 am

is this a typical feature for coryphantha elephantidens? or perhaps hes trying to get me back after i removed his only offset..

mughal113 · Post by **mughal113** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:44 am

Wow....cool!

Filord · Post by **Filord** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:20 pm

I´ve seen this also on some Astrophytum and Thelocacti last summer only in sunny hot days.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:59 am

astros? i tried some of my myriostigma flowers today, but nothing

I think this is wierd how some do and some dont. i searched the net and couldn't find any info about coryphanthas having this feature.

Tom2643 · Post by **Tom2643** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:46 am

Lewis_cacti wrote:is this a typical feature for coryphantha elephantidens? or perhaps hes trying to get me back after i removed his only offset..

I have no idea about this with coryphantha in general, the only cacti i can ever get to bloom are my opuntia, i think the rest all hate our -20ºF winters. You should definitely keep track of which ones do and don't, if for no other reason than its a fun reaction!

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:02 am

yeah, thats a good idea.
list so far:
1. opuntia microdasys (tried yesterday and sure enough they do).
2. other opuntias (havent seen them though, will try asap)
3. parodia sp. (according to cactus growing friend).
4. coryphantha elephantidens
5. Astrophytum sp. (i'll take Filords word for it, mine refused to co-operate

)