Possible Nyctocereus sepentinus - crested?

[BobD]

Hello all

I would be grateful is someone could identify/confirm my latest cactus purchase. After looking around the internet it looks most like a Nyctocereus serpentinus f. cristata (crested) to me, but when I look this up elsewhere the same species is usually column shaped, not the same shape as mine.

I'm new to cactus collecting, so I'm probably missing some basic knowledge about cacti or cactus nomenclature - so sorry if that's the case.

I've attached 2 photos. The plant is about 5 inches/10 cm long, 2.5-3 inches high.

Unfortunately the garden centres around where I live often don't put name tags on the plants, or they're wrong if they do. This one didn't have anything.

Thanks for any help/suggestions.

All the best,

Bob
(Nice, South of France)

Nyctocereus serpentinus f. cristata?

Crested Night-blooming Cereus.jpg (100.85 KiB) Viewed 1482 times

[anttisepp]

Looks like it.

[BobD]

Hi again...newbie confession - a face plant moment.

I just found out what 'cristata' and 'monstrose' actually mean and what the effect is on a cactus' appearance - duh! But that's the good thing about starting something new - lots to learn.

But, idiot newbie aside, do you think it is a Nyctocereus sepentinus? And thanks to Anttisepp for giving me his view and not calling me out for being a jerk.

All the best, Bob

[anttisepp]

Both cristate and monstrose forms can give time to time normal, "healthy" as I call, stems and if there's no sure according to firm species of cristate these "healthy" stems always help to make ID.
Your plant also have one or two healthy stems. You'd cut them later when they grow bigger and root them, because: 1. they may take all plant's strenth to itself and 2. it's nice to have other form of the same species. "Normal" Nyctocereus will flower in some years but I don't sure same about cristate.

[Lucy_V]

Can it be Stenocereus hollianus cristata?

[teo]

This is (was) my (partly) crested Stenocereus hollianus

DSC_0454-c.JPG (184.38 KiB) Viewed 1439 times

[anttisepp]

2 teo: Looks more like Nyctocereus serpentinus. Has it large tuberose roots?
I think there's some commercial misunderstanding (as in case with Cereus peruvianus cv Fairy Castle) when plant widely selled under wrong name from beginning. Pachycereus hollianus is much stronger plant with thicker central spines downward from areole. IMHO

[teo]

Don't remember about the roots (it's gone now) - I got it identified here a number of years ago

[anttisepp]

So as I said the best way for final ID is to root and grow healthy single stem separately and come back when plant is possible to recognize.

[7george]

Garden centres can not afford experts like us.

So if the spines are more or less soft and flexible in all directions this is likely some Nyctocereus serpentinus. Roots check is also helpful.