Gemhunter from now forward~

[gemhunter178]

Hello all,

I joined cactiguide many years ago (I think 7?) and have always been lurking around, occasionally responding (especially to new members! I hope I caught all of them.)
Anyways, with the start of college and stuff, I still managed to keep most of my collection growing (special thanks to my mom) as I live in the same state my university is in. Also, with a warm grow box, seedlings are easy to keep alive.
Really wanted to get my own little thread going again, but I've been busy (and lazy), so, to help that, I'm starting my thread now.

To start off, here's a picture of a flowering Ariocarpus retusus ssp. trigonus and an Echinopsis (Setiechinopsis) mirabilis, the latter of which I grew from seed sent from fanaticactus way back in 2013 http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31342.



Don't worry, these pictures are hosted on my Flickr, https://flic.kr/s/aHskG6xBXv
Links: https://flic.kr/p/2bWp6ck and https://flic.kr/p/29QvDCS

Here's to great and growing future,
-Jason Chen (Gemhunter178)

P.S. Also, if Steve Johnson is reading this, your Turbinicarpis polaskii's (from 2013 seeds) relatives on the east coast are blooming. Pictures to follow when I get to it.

Edit: Links for pictures

[Steve Johnson]

Hi Jason,

I remember you from the time when I joined the forum 7 years ago. I think you were 13 back then? Wow, how time flies -- especially for us "senior citizens" (I turned 60 in May, so I guess that qualifies). I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see young people discovering the hobby and sticking with it, so . Based on your pics here, your photography skills look really good, and I'll look forward to seeing more of your work. Thanks so much for giving me an update on the Turb polaskii seeds I sent you in 2013, and it's wonderful to know that you're doing well with the results. I'll keep an eye out for polaskii pics on your thread.

All the best,

Steve

[ElieEstephane]

Very beautiful photos!

[K.W.]

Hello Jason,

when I read your last response to my Ariocarpus Photo's - I had to think of a post where you had to drive to school through the snow.
And I thought You should be growing up and studying now.
And I wanted to ask You if that's right.

You were faster with your new post. . .
I am very glad that you are still cultivating cacti, bravo!


Best wishes

K.W.

[gemhunter178]

I think you were 13 back then?

Wow, I wouldn't remember a fact like that, but yes. I'm 20 now. Crazy how I thought I started growing cacti like, yesterday!

Very beautiful photos!

Thank you! I try my best (though I recently broke some functionality on my DSLR... hope to get a better camera soon)

when I read your last response to my Ariocarpus Photo's - I had to think of a post where you had to drive to school through the snow.
And I thought You should be growing up and studying now.
And I wanted to ask You if that's right.
I am very glad that you are still cultivating cacti, bravo!

I still have to drive through snow sometimes... Massachusetts does that.
Honestly I think I'll be growing cacti for a loooong time. I have too many plants I started from seed to let some...if any... of them go!
And yes, I'm currently studying at a university now. It's real boring, actually.

Thanks so much for giving me an update on the Turb polaskii seeds I sent you in 2013, and it's wonderful to know that you're doing well with the results. I'll keep an eye out for polaskii pics on your thread.

...and here it is! (sorry, this picture was taken off my phone. I have better pictures....somewhere.)

Link: https://flic.kr/p/QuZVeC
currently I have 7? surviving members of the family, two have large cracks in them though, and I always seem to lose 1 or 2 every winter (might just be the sheer number I had going in)

As for more recent things (I'll mix in old pictures until I run out) - here's my most recent acquisition, a specimen of Monanthes polyphylla from a friendly orchid dealer at a show today:

Link: https://flic.kr/p/29ShWzb

Thanks for the welcome back!
-Jason Chen (gemhunter178)

[gemhunter178]

I honestly don't know where I left off (and I'm too lazy to check). So, bear with me while I post some older pictures.

Here's a Mammillaria hahniana that has been blooming every spring for like 3 years now. I think this was last year's

Link: https://flic.kr/p/2aTxFmM

Also, I also ordered a bunch on Gymno and related seeds from a German? seller that was on the "updated seed lists" thread. Stay tuned. Also waiting to jump on the ADBLPS list when that's released (I really want some Yavia cryptocarpa seeds.)

Speaking of which, I have been producing seeds of my own for 2 or 3 years now. I'll probably make a list at some point.

Edit: Link for picture

[gemhunter178]

I was home this weekend, so, I got to take some pictures of the collection!
To start off, here's some Leuchtenbergia principis v. trachythele that I sowed in... I think Feb 17, 2015? (I'll have to check, also, heads up to seed growers: sharpie degrades after a few years) - I laminated the sharpie, but I guess the lights got to it.


Edit: Link: https://flic.kr/p/2btedst

[gemhunter178]

Here's some more seedling photos! This is a Strombocactus disciformis ssp. esperanzae GK-1716. Sown by me back in Feb. 14, 2015!
These guys are tiny when they sprout- honestly, they still are!


Edit: Link: https://flic.kr/p/2cP335q

[DaveW]

I too have Leuchtenbergia principis v. trachythele, but the name has never been validly published and I can't see much difference between it and the normal principis, being just normal variation within a population let alone a species. They all seem to have originally been raised from seed from the German seedsman Kohres.

A quote from a German Forum, using Google Translate:-

The "var. trachythele" had a slightly rougher surface. Köhres has just made a new variety out of it."

Another quote from the Web:-

"The "trachythele" variety is reported to be distinguished from standard "Leuchtenbergia principis" by its rough, sandpaper-like epidermis, but the plants raised from the seeds bought on Köhres seed catalogue (Plant nr. 9459) are not rough at all but shows a strong habit with pruinose blue tubercles that tinge purple during winter rest. Spines are very long too."

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... rachythele

Llifle also lists a thin tubercled form, but again well within normal variation of a population. Whether this comes from Kohres seed too I do not know.

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... ariapensis

There is a picture of the rough tubercle surface if you scroll down this link:-

https://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Leuchtenbergia

As quite a few cannot find the rough epidermis on their seedlings I wonder if it could be a recessive gene that only appears on a small proportion of the seedlings raised from the rough tubercle plant?

[gemhunter178]

Interesting!
I too was wondering about that as my first impression of the plant was actually from the cactiguide page.
Looking through the archives, those came from ADBLPS with the field number GK-9459 (probably offspring of those original plants.)

The two in that picture don't have the rough tubercule surface (yet?), though I can take a close up of them next time I'm home.
I do have an older "standard" principis I can also take pictures and compare to.

I wonder what plants Juergen Menzel has (the person who contributed the photos with the rough surface.)

[gemhunter178]

Continuing with posting pictures of seedlings, here's a batch of Ariocarpus scapharostris that was sown on Feb. 17, 2015 (same date at the Leuchtenbergia)!


Edit: Link: https://flic.kr/p/QM45XU

[gemhunter178]

Today's seedling picture: some Pelecyphora strobiliformis DH-1059 sown Feb. 17, 2015 (I have small batches, so, I sow things in groups)


Edit: Link: https://flic.kr/p/PaLHeH

[gemhunter178]

My seeds from Volker Schädlich have arrived. Lots of Gymnocalycium to sow sometime!

Here's some of my oldest seedlings, back from the first seed batch I ordered!
These are Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus ssp. albiflorus that were sown on Feb. 10, 2012!


Link: https://flic.kr/p/2cSJmEU

If you notice on the one on the top left-


Link: https://flic.kr/p/2bR84JA

That's a flower bud! If it doesn't abort, it will be my first Ariocarpus flower from a seed grown plant. I have not had a good track record with my older kotschoubeyanus I ordered from Miles a few years ago though. Always has buds, only flowered once.

Edit: Links for pictures

[gemhunter178]

Adding to the macro seedling pictures I've been posting, here's an Astrophytum asterias 'V-Type' that I grew from seed from a Czech seller. It hasn't started forming V's yet, but I'm hoping it will? I think this was sown in 2015. I have to check.


Link: https://flic.kr/p/2bDcSUT

On another hand, I'm still on the lookout for odd Ario cultivars, but I've had little luck for the past few years.

Edit: Link for picture

[Kristofer1990]

Hi Gemhunter, I don't know about import restrictions in the USA but if you look up for seed sellers in Europe it's not hard to find cultivar seeds. They are not cheap but we have quite a few reliable sellers.