geometrizans or juul's giant, or T bridgesii?

[nopale]

I've been all up and down the web, and at last it's time to pull to the side of the road and ask for help.

This cactus is frighteningly, hauntingly beautiful up close. But I don't know his name yet.

And I don't have a digital camera to make this easy either.

Let me describe it as best I can:

8 inches tall, approx 2 or 3 inch diameter.

Its spines are well spaced apart, black with subtle red toward the end of the spine. Almost always 6 of them, with the central one a little longer, central one sticking Straight out, the other five forming a star shape.

it has 5 fins at the bottom, and 6 at the top. The fins are thick, and a cross section would look like a star, not an asterisk (the fins do not extend fully to the core).

From where a spine would come out, there are (in two place) small column branches, pointing straight vertical like the main column of the cactus.

The skin is a nice green with a bit of blue.

The place where the spines come out is white, with a little yellow/grey tint. They are small, a little furry looking (not much). The spines are evenly spaced apart, about one per inch.
The spines themselves are no more than 1/8", the longest never longer than 1/4".

There is no fruit or bloom.

One a couple of the spines are little round green bulbs, puckering out over the spines. My guess is the beginning of new branches.

I was unable to find any information on Juul's Giant cactus on this site, which makes me wonder what Juul's Giant is anyway.

T huanucoensis,
myrtillocactus geometrizans,
T bridgesii
terscheckii

These are my best guesses.

It's wonderful. When looking at the cactus up close, those spines pointing straight out at me -- well, it looks powerful.

I appreciate any help on this.

[templegatejohn]

Hi there,

I sympathise with your situation but at best people could only give you an educated guess as to the name of your cactus (or succulent). You really do need to beg steal or borrow a camera to give us a fighting chance of getting an ID.

Juul's Giant cactus: It is thought by some botanists to be a variety or hybrid of either Trichocereus pachanoi (San Pedro) or T. peruvianus,

John