Arrojadoa bahiensis?

[ColinTheCactus]

Hello All.

I have a cactus that has grown in 10 years from a small Santa themed novelty to the specimen shown here.

I am new to cacti but I am thinking "Colin the Cactus" is Arrojadoa bahiensis. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Also, he has a fat top end but a skinny waist. I would like Colin to be nicely proportioned but I don't know whether to water or leave to dry out a bit. Any guidance gratefully received.

Last year he had just one flower, this year he has had 4 so must be doing well.

I am wanting to repot Colin so I assume that I remove the pups, put in a larger pot in some proper cactus soil.

20230701_152043.jpg (75.81 KiB) Viewed 928 times

[ohugal]

Looks more like a Parodia magnifica.

[Minnesota]

Impressive growth over a decade--I like Colin, just as he is. You must be doing something right; Colin looks great. Continue what you're doing. Others should chime in on soil/potting medium, care, and fertilization. Colin flowering is a good sign of great care. If I had the choice, I would transplant next spring without removing the pups (but that's just me).

Thank you for sharing handsome Colin.

[greenknight]

Looks more like a Parodia magnifica.

Agreed. The skinny waist is going to stay, that part is finished growing. Looks like you moved him into better light, now he's producing more normal growth. I'd be inclined to leave the pups, they'll cover that up - and a big clump of these looks very impressive. See: http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... _magnifica

[ColinTheCactus]

Hi all
Thanks for the info, very useful indeed.

[anttisepp]

I don't sure picture's quality but is there bluish vax on epidermis or it's green? Think about Eriocactus warasii...

[greenknight]

I don't sure picture's quality but is there bluish vax on epidermis or it's green? Think about Eriocactus warasii...

In the last picture, which shows it as it was when it was purchased, it looks quite blue. Needs sun to produce that wax.

[loyall]

I post with trepidation because I expect DaveW may weigh in here. He is a Notocactus expert. Two years ago he identified for me a similar looking cactus as likely Parodia warasii or less likely P. claviceps. Here is a photo of that plant. Curiously this plant also started out years ago as a decorated novelty.

Mary Ann's cactus.jpg (125.99 KiB) Viewed 828 times

[nachtkrabb]

Hi all,
I admit: to me Colin looks most definitively like a Parodia magnifica. There are two forms I have just read at Terry Hewitt's.
One is more bluish & has whitish spines, plus its bigger & has less pups.
The other is more greenish & has yellowish spines. But depending on light, they sometimes also have a bluish tint depending on the light.
So Colin might be the latter. It really does look great.
IMO the plants in that nice looking bowl are a bit cramped. I tend to give mine loads more space... But that's me...
Nachtkrabb

[ColinTheCactus]

Thanks, I have a larger pot so I can hopefully get him more vertical and not looking like he has had a really good night out

[nachtkrabb]

Good night out? Hope he enjoyed it...!
My P. magnifica lies more or less down, just as many Mammillarias do. Maybe she (yes: I ma thinking of "her" as you do of "him") enjoys it, maybe it has to do with the winter light. Although she gets one of the lightest places I have to offer, she seems to be insatiable (got to be a woman).
This "Stay upright!" is something we learned as kids from our parents & it is healthy enough for our backs. But as cacti do not have a backbone, I do not apply it to them.
Nachtkrabb