They all look the same to me..

[catbrush]

Hi Guys,
I was in my local cactus shop, and saw a plant that looks something like a bag of rocks...

I was interested in them becasue they seem to be florescent under UV..

I marked them 1 & 2,
I think 1 is some sort of Lithops
on the "have a quick look here" ,other than 1 looks like a 387 & 2 looks like a 456


Also should these both feel slightly firm to the touch when gentally squeezed or would they be rotten inside?

This shop has hundreds of different plants thrown all over the place, not even arranges in "similar groups"
I think they just buy bags of sand from south America and see what they can grow.

The owner is "if you like it buy it", if not then "get lost and stop wasting my time"

[DaveW]

They are all older mature plants.

1 Ariocarpus of fissuratus group.

2 Lophophora probably williamsii

Lithops are not a cactus but one of the so called "Other Succulents" from a different continent. If firm they are unlikely to be rotten but unlike most cacti Lophophora's do go softer and flabby when water is withheld in winter, but still not rotten.

[catbrush]

HI,
Thanks for the help.....
how do you identify them so fast?

is it just experience or is there a fast way to do it,
becasue when i look up Ariocarpus, they just don't look the same

and the williamsii, there just seems to be so many fluffy old cacti that look the same...

[greenknight]

Ariocarpus fissuratus clumps like that are not too common, might have been grafted to make it grow faster. Lophophoras do look very similar to each other.

[DaveW]

"how do you identify them so fast?"

64 years of growing cacti. They all become familiar after a time. Not good at identifying "Other Succulents" though as I never grew them.

Also in some cases you still need to refer to a botanical description of the species and compare, but even then individual plants vary slightly.

Plants that age and offsetting would cost £20-£30 ($26-$39) each in Britain, if not more for the Ariocarpus.

[7george]

Also should these both feel slightly firm to the touch when gently squeezed or would they be rotten inside?

Ariocarpus plants are always firm in touch, even being dead. Other cacti during rest time period can feel soft, it is totally OK.

[Aiko]

I am a bit surprised you would think an Ariocarpus is visually anything like a Lithops...

[Nino_G]

I am a bit surprised you would think an Ariocarpus is visually anything like a Lithops...

It could be due to their common names (at least in English): Lithops is often refered to as "Living stone plant" and Ariocarpus "Living rock cactus".

[IamFof]

I don't know where you are located, @catbrush, but I would guess USA?
I would give my eye-teeth to have access to a "local cactus shop" with so many goodies.