OK, well as promised, we'll give a week to go over any questions about the upcomming contest.
Since we've had so many columnars showing up lately, let's do a Columnar Cactus Contest.
So should we allow all columnars or only those from certain regions, specific genera?
We'll start this one on the 24th.
Daiv
Cactus Picture Contest #12
Cactus Picture Contest #12
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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cactuspolecat
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cactusveda
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cactuspolecat
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Just being the devil's advocate but:
Someone should define columnar! Is an old A. ornatum that is 3+ft tall considered columnar. It definately would be described as columnar even though most would not think of it that way.
There are a lot of plants that bend the rules with age. Almost all of Matucana haynei forms for example. And F. diguetii for another.
I also do not think of the many "sprawling, basal branching" forms of cereus as columnar. Again, some commonly refered columnars are not columns, but huge plants having more branches then a tree, like Pachycereus pringlei - our famous Baja cardon.
I guess that is the purpose of this week?? Daiv??
GeneS
Someone should define columnar! Is an old A. ornatum that is 3+ft tall considered columnar. It definately would be described as columnar even though most would not think of it that way.
There are a lot of plants that bend the rules with age. Almost all of Matucana haynei forms for example. And F. diguetii for another.
I also do not think of the many "sprawling, basal branching" forms of cereus as columnar. Again, some commonly refered columnars are not columns, but huge plants having more branches then a tree, like Pachycereus pringlei - our famous Baja cardon.
I guess that is the purpose of this week?? Daiv??
GeneS
Yes Gene! These questions are much better addressed before we start the contest.
Here are the guidelines so far:
Columnar cacti:
Cultivated plants only -Botanical gardens and large wild plants are out -because home grown plants just can't compete.
? How about home grown garden plants?
Columnar should be those that are columnar in habit at young age on through adult. This would exclude Astrophytums, Echinocereus, Ferocacti, etc.
?Shall we include those that branch profusely like Myrtillocactus and Polaskia? -I would vote yes.
Also excluded should be the sprawling types -like Stenocereus alamosensis or Acanthocereus tetragonus.
In short -we're going for a rather formal definition for columnar.
Here are the guidelines so far:
Columnar cacti:
Cultivated plants only -Botanical gardens and large wild plants are out -because home grown plants just can't compete.
? How about home grown garden plants?
Columnar should be those that are columnar in habit at young age on through adult. This would exclude Astrophytums, Echinocereus, Ferocacti, etc.
?Shall we include those that branch profusely like Myrtillocactus and Polaskia? -I would vote yes.
Also excluded should be the sprawling types -like Stenocereus alamosensis or Acanthocereus tetragonus.
In short -we're going for a rather formal definition for columnar.
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
I agree with Daivs' points. Also I don't think we really need to define columnar. It's more than just a growth form. If we only look at it as upright cylindrical cacti some Mammillarias would also qualify along with Feros.
Lets stick with the cacti that are tradionally considered columnars. Cereus, Carnegiae, Some Echinopsis (such as the former Trichos), Pachycereus, Stenocereus, Oreocereus, and lets not leave out the Espostoas or some varieties of Cleistocactus. Cleistocactus straussi yes, Cleistocactus winteri no. Of course the list doesn't end there.
I also like the home grown idea. You're right Daiv, if we leave it open to pics in the wild and plants grown in botanical gardens it's hard to keep the playing field level, so to speak. This should be something you've grown yourself in your yard or in a pot on your patio. It's a picture of your columnar cactus.
I would like to suggest something though. Lets look at the plants rather than the flowers or closeups of features. The whole plant. No closeups of just the flower or spines or ribs. I wouldn't rule out a plant that happens to be flowering. But it shouldn't be the focus of the picture.
Franj
Lets stick with the cacti that are tradionally considered columnars. Cereus, Carnegiae, Some Echinopsis (such as the former Trichos), Pachycereus, Stenocereus, Oreocereus, and lets not leave out the Espostoas or some varieties of Cleistocactus. Cleistocactus straussi yes, Cleistocactus winteri no. Of course the list doesn't end there.
I also like the home grown idea. You're right Daiv, if we leave it open to pics in the wild and plants grown in botanical gardens it's hard to keep the playing field level, so to speak. This should be something you've grown yourself in your yard or in a pot on your patio. It's a picture of your columnar cactus.
I would like to suggest something though. Lets look at the plants rather than the flowers or closeups of features. The whole plant. No closeups of just the flower or spines or ribs. I wouldn't rule out a plant that happens to be flowering. But it shouldn't be the focus of the picture.
Franj
Franj wrote:
Well said. I do dearly enjoy cactus blossums but the real beauty is the plant itself, flowers are an added bonus.I would like to suggest something though. Lets look at the plants rather than the flowers or closeups of features. The whole plant. No closeups of just the flower or spines or ribs. I wouldn't rule out a plant that happens to be flowering. But it shouldn't be the focus of the picture.
Bill
If it sticks ya or pokes ya, I like it
If it sticks ya or pokes ya, I like it
Ok, we'll start this tomorrow.
Important point to remember: There is no limit to the number of contests we can have. If you would like to see a columnar contest that doesn't exclude some of the features mentioned, please say so. We can always have two or three different contests. We can be as broad or narrow as we want. For example, we could have an Echinocereus grusonii only contest. I still want to take another stab at a cacti in the wild contest.
Post your ideas for future contests here:
http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=891
Daiv
Important point to remember: There is no limit to the number of contests we can have. If you would like to see a columnar contest that doesn't exclude some of the features mentioned, please say so. We can always have two or three different contests. We can be as broad or narrow as we want. For example, we could have an Echinocereus grusonii only contest. I still want to take another stab at a cacti in the wild contest.
Post your ideas for future contests here:
http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=891
Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti