Cacti records: what are the largest, smallest, fastest, slowest, long-lived, expensive etc. species??

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phas
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Joined: Mon May 29, 2023 12:39 am

Cacti records: what are the largest, smallest, fastest, slowest, long-lived, expensive etc. species??

Post by phas »

Hello,

could you please list a few species of cacti in those different categories?
I'd like to learn from your expertise what are the strangest, most interesting, most [something] cacti species.

Thanks in advance

Largest (columnar)
Largest (other shapes)
Smallest (columnar)
Smallest (other shapes)
Fastest growers
Slowest growers
Longest lifespan
Shortest lifespan
Most xerophytic (resistant to drought)
Most expensive (as a species, not as cultivar or cristate etc.)
Recently described species
Recently described genuses
Longest spines
Unusual spines
Spiniest

Here is my general idea, hope it shows that I did some research but of course in these kind of topics, expertise is welcome and I'd really like to tap into yours.

Largest (columnar)
Pachycereus pringlei
Carnegiea gigantea

Largest (other shapes)
Echinocactus platyacanthus
Smallest (columnar)
Smallest (other shapes)
Blossfeldia liliputana
Fastest growers
Slowest growers
Longest lifespan
Carnegiea gigantea, 200 years?
Shortest lifespan
Most xerophytic (resistant to drought)
Most expensive (as a species, not as cultivar or cristate etc.)
Recently described species
Recently described genuses
Longest spines
Unusual spines
Mammillaria bombycina, hook-like spines
Corynopuntia invicta, strong spines, becoming black with age?

Spiniest
Cylindropuntia bigelovii
Last edited by phas on Mon May 29, 2023 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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C And D
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Re: Cacti records: what are the largest, smallest, fastest, slowest species?

Post by C And D »

Longest spines is a subject I've had interest in
We had a Club meeting Mini Show Contest for the longest spines
I won with my Leuchtenbergia principis, which were around 7 inches

But since then, I got a Opuntia sulphurea that may have longer spines

I will have to check
Check out our plant and seed lists
http://www.CandDplants.com

Craig and Denise Fry
DaveW
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Re: Cacti records: what are the largest, smallest, fastest, slowest, long-lived, expensive etc. species??

Post by DaveW »

Whilst I admire your enthusiasm I think your asking questions even the Guinness Book of Records could not supply.

Also would the largest be largest still living or the largest that ever existed? If the latter then records were probably not kept then. As with humans the oldest living human varies from year to year as the previous oldest dies and the same applies to plants. Also our plants don't grow in the most accessible places where humans are constantly observing them.

"Unusual spines = Mammillaria bombycina hook-like spines". Hooked spines are hardly unusual in the Cactaceae, in fact most of the Mammillaria's recently transferred to Cochemia have hooked spines.

Good luck in compiling your answers but I doubt the research needed to answer even a small proportion of them has yet been done and anybody has the time or facilities to do it. Also some questions are vague like "Spiniest", is that longest spines as with Craig's reply, or the most spines per areole?
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7george
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Re: Cacti records: what are the largest, smallest, fastest, slowest, long-lived, expensive etc. species??

Post by 7george »

Smallest (other shapes)
Blossfeldia liliputana
Looking at a grafted clump of Blossfeldia not always would consider it the smallest ball cactus.
My Frailea plants often become mature already at 10 - 15 mm diameter.
Image

Image
So these are also among the smallest cacti that exist.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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