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Monday, April 29, 2013

Matucana haynei

This is a large plant, about 15 inches tall. Every couple weeks it produces a flash of flowers like that, 30 to 50 blooms each time.


Sunday, April 28, 2013

Echinocereus mojavensis 'inermis'

The 'unarmed' E. mojavensis comes from around four corners area,  Paradox mountains is one of the spots, and to me it feels like the right name for this plant home. It is very sculptural to my taste, and also fairly slow.


Thursday, April 25, 2013

Rebutia pygmaea

Very variable species, mainly by flower color, it is one of the all time favorites. Small plants are forming clumps in culture, and often 15 cm / 6 in in diameter or more. This form has relatively large orange flowers.


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Echinocereus coccineus hybrid

White-flowered E. coccineus hybrid, another picture from another season. The plant gets larger, and the flowering is more spectacular with every year.


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Echinocereus mojavensis

This is a form of Echinocereus mojavensis from northern Arizona. It has somewhat darker flowers with pinkish tint in them, very noticeable when you see them next to the California plants that have more of orange in color.


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Echinocereus nivosus

Long awaited flower of E. nivosus here. In literature this species is described as hard to flower. Here is a seedling of about 3 inches tall flowering for the first time. Apparently, all they need is plenty of sun. Not a big surprise when you talk about Echinocereus.


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Lobivia formosa kieslingii

IDing this plant was a challenge for me, and even after it finally reached the flowering size I could not quite get it.This is a form of well-known Soechrensia, but it flowers not from the apex as you would expect, but from the base like other 'regular' Lobivias. Flower size and shape is identical to other Soechrensias.

Soecherncia is the original generic name for those plants, now lumped to  Lobivia or even larger genus Echinopsis. This is high-altitude plants, getting fairly large in time.


Monday, April 15, 2013

Echinocereus apachensis

Yet another picture of this natural hybrid. As you can see, this plant has very modest short spines, about 2 inches long. Plant like that are fairly common around Fish Creek area, where the plants of original description came from.


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Eriosyce chiliensis albiflora

Another Chilean species, this Eriosyce is becoming more common. I have some seedlings grown from wild collected seeds, but this plant actually came from garden center.




Saturday, April 13, 2013

Mammillaria zailmanniana

The popular species, good to beginners, and still a pretty plant when in flower.


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Escobaria laredoi

Nice tiny plant, all white and with bright flowers, this Escobaria has been around for long time. It deserves more presence in cactus collections.


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Copiapoa krainziana

Old cactus hobbyists books have many versions of explanations why cacti grow wool or hear-like spines - from keeping plants worm at cold nights to protecting them from extreme desert sun.

I hope this picture of a plant native to the area where fog is the only reliable source of precipitation solves that old mystery ))


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Rebutia pygmaea diersiana

This is a section of a group of 30 or so small plants sharing 10-inch planter.


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Echinocereus leonensis

Large plate-shaped flower of this species has same colors as the E.pentalophus. E leonensis is considered to be a mere form of this species, but is a very distinct form. It's stems are much thicker and not spreading, and the plant produces stolons.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Lobivia wrightiana

Lobivia wrightiana is common among collectors, easy and nice plant. It flowers repeatedly over the summer with it's lavender flowers.


Monday, April 1, 2013

Echinocereus coccinneus hybrid

Hybrids of E.coccinneus x E.dasiacanthus not very common but well known in nature. They produce larger than E.coccineus flowers of many interesting colors. The flowers have typical for E.coccineus shape and usually inherit dioicy. Here you see the female flower.


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