Here is the first part of the ADBLPS cactus seeds I sowed January 2023. Instead of giving the seedlings a cold winter rest, I've kept them growing inside the heated propagator box all year. I originally sowed the seeds in small disposable shot glasses and repotted the seedlings into larger pots in October 2023.
South American cacti, mostly Argentinian and a few Chilean species (plus one Bolivian!)
Acanthocalycium thionanthum 'chionanthum' P 67 Portrero (El Potrero?) 2500m, Salta, Argentina [ADBLPS 6528]
Copiapoa angustiflora CS 23.2 93 Guanillos Valley 237m, Antofagasta, Region II, Chile [ADBLPS 8925]
Copiapoa atacamensis PH 247.01 Morro Moreno 300-800m, Antofagasta, Chile [ADBLPS 6580]
Eriosyce napina AWC 410 Puerto de Huasco, Huasco, Atacama (Region III), Chile [ADBLPS 2676]
Frailea chiquitana MU 364 Roboré, Santa Cruz, Chiquitos, Bolivia [ADBLPS 7743]
Gymnocalycium esperanzae TOM 436.1 west of Nueva Esperanza, La Rioja, Argentina [ADBLPS 12538]
Pterocactus araucanus SAR 9052 route Gualjaina to Cushamen, Cushamen, Chubut, Argentina [ADBLPS 9890]
Pterocactus australis RH 2313a (OR) Lago Viedma 260m, Lago Argentino, Santa Cruz, Argentina [ADBLPS 8814]
Reicheocactus bonnieae RFPA 245.01 22km west of Fiambalá to Quebrada Las Angosturas 1990m, Catamarca, Argentina [ADBLPS 12385]
A. thionanthum 'chionanthum' P 67. The locality is given as 'Portrero', but I couldn't find such place. I did find a village by the name 'El Potrero' in the Salta province of Argentina, so I wonder if the original annotation was misspelled? Anyway, this is a white flowered form of A. thionanthum (thion=sulfur, ie yellow; anthum=flower), previously described under the name A. chionanthum (chion=snow, ie white), 5 of 10 seeds germinated.
C. angustiflora CS 23.2 93. Only 2 seeds of 10 germinated (usually get 0 for Copiapoa, so an improvement!)
The seedlings are curiously woolly for their first few months of life. Here they are at 3 months old.
C. atacamensis PH 247.01. Best germination yet I've had for Copiapoa at 7 of 10 seeds (though 2 ended up damping off). Grows slower than the angustiflora, here are the 2 largest seedlings.
E. napina AWC 410. 90%+ germination.
F. chiquitana MU 364. Supposedly these are non-cleistogamous, so I may just be able to see a Frailea flower in my collection.
It was difficult to get their pretty bluish-green color in the sun, so I took this pic inside my propagator box under LED lights. They look better in person.
G. esperanzae TOM 436.1. 90%+ germination.
P. araucanus SAR 9052. 2 of 3 seeds germinated. They grew quite well before I repotted them. Here they are in October, still in their germination pot.
Unpotted, along with the other South American seedlings (plus a Mammillaria!).
Unfortunately, they resented being repotted and lost their roots soon after. I managed to save the stems and they rooted without issue. Here they are now.
P. australis RH 2313a. My second attempt at this species. Managed to coax 1 seed to germinate a few months after sowing by letting the pot dry for a few weeks at a time. Not looking forward to repotting this for fear of rotting like the araucanus!
R. bonnieae RFPA 245.01. Also my second attempt at sowing this species, this time with much better germination (80%+). They're growing faster than anticipated; you can see the unpotted seedlings in the pic above (next to the red cup) and what they look like now, just 3 months later.
One seedling seems to be a mutant. Twice now it has terminated its growth and put out a new branch. The seedling in the center, notice how the original stem seems to have its apical meristem disappear. The branch it grew on the side has itself a new branch growing from the apex.
I also sowed Discocactus placentiformis 'multicolorispinus' HU 542. Here they are at 3 months old.
4 of 10 seeds germinated, but they all succumbed to some infection I haven't seen before. Each seedling had a black lesion at its base that over the course of weeks spread higher into the stem, but the roots remained unaffected. I tried grafting one seedling after cutting away the dead tissue, but failed.
I also sowed Frailea gracillima 'stockingeri', but none of the 20 seeds germinated.
That's it for now! I will post the Mexican cactus species once I take pictures.