Great new finds

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 8:10 pm

This is the anniversary of my Dad's birthday. Since I had already bought a 'Mom' cactus on the way to her memorial service, I thought I'd try to find an appropriate one I could name for him. Luckily, I found a large one I do not have in my collection. But it needs an ID. Let's see how much I'm learning. My choices, in this order, are: Echinopsis, Parodia (Lobivia) or Rebutia (but the spination doesn't look right). It is 7.5" across and 4" tall. Can anyone nail it down to a genus AND species?

#1

#2
This intriguing little 'un had actually fallen off its parent, which was grafted to some kind of columnar. It was screaming, "Help! I've fallen and got no roots. Please take me home and nurse me back to health so I can achieve my full, majestic plant-self." I believe it's a Mamm, but not certain. If it is, I can only come up with 'thersae'. It's very strange looking; is it a monstrose form? Should I be able to root it, and will it grow (probably very slowly) on its own?

Andy_CT · Post by **Andy_CT** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 8:30 pm

I'll guess

1) Echinopsis Oxygona
2) is that Mammillaria luethyi

iann · Post by **iann** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 8:51 pm

That second one is a freak! I think it might be the monstrose form of Mammillaria painteri. Now included in M. crinita but you still see this name attached to the monstrose plants.

There's a monstrose Copiapoa tenuissima also, but it is usually black and more woolly.

Cacti77 · Post by **Cacti77** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:40 am

Andy_CT wrote:1) Echinopsis Oxygona

Yep I had a huge specimen that I thought I had lost to the cold last year but I found a few of the offsets laying under some leaves and was able to root them. They were so small I was surprised I could root them, they were smaller than a quarter!

This would be a great cacti for your dad, the flowers are beautiful, and when they flower they produce numerous long large flowers.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 3:12 am

Andy_CT wrote:I'll guess
2) is that Mammillaria luethyi

After text & online searches, I tend to agree with Andy_CT. Perhaps a slightly monstrose form of M. luethyi. I sure hope so; look at that flower in this link:

http://www.mammillarias.net/gallery/L/luethyi

esp. photo #96 (if this doesn't go there exactly)

I dusted it with Rootone and set it into some dry coarse sand mixed with a small bit of sifted organic potting soil & stuck it into a baggie. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 3:34 am

Andy_CT wrote:I'll guess

1) Echinopsis Oxygona

I thought E. oxygona, too, until I saw the CactiGuide photo for E. calochlora. This seems to be even closer, considering the shorter spines, less dense crown and less fuzzy areoles. By the way, I repotted it today; it has a fine root system.

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:11 am

It's not Mammillaria luethyi.

Andy_CT · Post by **Andy_CT** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:34 am

[quote="fanaticactus]
After text & online searches, I tend to agree with Andy_CT. Perhaps a slightly monstrose form of M. luethyi. [/quote]

Never agree on a Mammillaria id from me

cactuspolecat · Post by **cactuspolecat** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:19 am

fanaticactus wrote:...
I thought E. oxygona, too, until I saw the CactiGuide photo for E. calochlora. This seems to be even closer, considering the shorter spines, less dense crown and less fuzzy areoles. By the way, I repotted it today; it has a fine root system.

It's not calochlora I don't think. E. calochlora has a pale almost yellowish green body, the ribs are more rounded and the areoles are much closer than this one.
I would still call it oxygona... oxygona is a variable species, though I wouldn't rule out that it's hybridized.

For some reason I don't have a pic of my calochlora, but check out this pic of Janine's fine specimen, a good example of E. calochlora.

Janine's calochlora

Cheers, CP.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:04 pm

iann wrote:It's not Mammillaria luethyi.

But, Ian, I want those luethyi flowers!!

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:09 pm

[/quote]
It's not calochlora I don't think. E. calochlora has a pale almost yellowish green body, the ribs are more rounded and the areoles are much closer than this one.
I would still call it oxygona... oxygona is a variable species, though I wouldn't rule out that it's hybridized.

[/quote]

Well, who am I to question the experts? At least you can see I'm trying to put to use my powers of observation. Thanks for the pointing out the differences, CP, and for the photo for comparison. As we're all used to saying 'A flower would help...'

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 10:34 pm

I'm gonna keep tryin' on #2. How about some form of M. hernandezii? Remember, it was grafted onto a stock.

iann · Post by **iann** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:19 pm

How about some form of M. hernandezii?

Probably not.

Look at the few spines lurking around the base of the plant. Those are clues to the natural appearance of this species. Either that or it is a truly bizarre chimera which doesn't sound right from what you describe.

If it wasn't for the white formless blobs of extreme monstrose growth, I'd be quite happy that this was M. painteri, but I just haven't seen those on a Mammillaria before. I've seen them on Copiapoas, but mostly this plant looks like a Mammillaria. If you can persuade it to flower, even to produce buds, then many questions will be answered.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:05 am

We'll see how this summer can help it along. Before I can expect anything else, it has to form roots. How long before I can expect anything root-like to show? Or is it a crap shoot?

cooky173 · Post by **cooky173** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:03 pm

Could it be Pediocactus knowltonii?

Pediocactus Knowltonii