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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Mammillaria conspicua

Mammillaria conspicua is a form of Mammillaria haageana, and with age it should develop lots of white wool under the spines. The young seedlings I gave do not show it yet, but they look pretty anyways.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Matucana haynei

The pink-flowering variance of this variable species - nice addition to any cacti collection.


Thursday, October 9, 2014

Oreocereus doelzianus ssp. sericatus

AKA Moravetzia sericata, a slender Oreocereus, easiest to flower in collection. The flower comes at the tip of the stem.




Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Mammillaria petrophila

This modest Mammillaria is Baja California endemic, and older plants can be densely wrapped with white 'wool' formed in axilles. This plant just started to develop some of it.


Saturday, August 30, 2014

Austrocylindropuntia shaferi

Two years old from seeds plant flowering in by backyard. This is a very vigorous plant, and at that young age produced unexpected flowers. The first flowers are small, but the color is striking.
The same plant 2 years back: http://cactusaficionado.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrocylindropuntia-shaferi.html


Friday, August 29, 2014

Coryphantha erecta

Coryphantha erecta was described about 150 years ago, but generally neglected by cactus collectors. It is a somewhat trivial looking plant, with very pretty summer blooms.


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Copiapoa laui

The smallest of all Copiapoas, with tiny button-head stems, is underground plant in the nature. Stems are usually flat to the ground, and really hard to find when not in bloom. In culture they form small multi-headed clumps.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Mammillaria grahamii

Mammillaria grahamii is a common plant of southern and central Arizona. There are several different forms of this plant found throughout the state. This form with tight white radial spines covering the steam and striped flower comes from Organ Pipe Cactus National Park.


Sunday, July 13, 2014

Opuntia hybrid

This interesting looking Opuntia is a common hybrid found around Fredonia, with one parent been Opuntia phaeacantha. The plants there vary widely in the size of the pads, and spines - from completely naked to very spiny. Some plants have purple pads and some completely green. From the bud it seems like that the flower color is pink.


Saturday, June 14, 2014

Opuntia nicholii

This is a large form of O.polyacantha, occurring around Glen Canyon - Marble Canyon area on Colorado River.


Friday, June 13, 2014

Sclerocactus parviflorus

This almost white flower comes from the population where white and pink flowering plants, with spines from brown-red to pure white are growing together.


Monday, June 9, 2014

Sclerocactus whipplei 'rosei'

Sclerocactus whipplei is known to have yellow flowers. This pink-flowering plant makes it very confusing, but if you look closely you see the distinct upward-pointing flat white spine, characteristic to the species. It is well seen on original 1856 illsutration by Paulus Roetter stored in National Museum of Natural History  (click the link to see).
The pictured plant is probably as small as those plants can flower - very encouraging sight for those who grow  them from seed.


Sunday, June 8, 2014

Pediocactus peeblesianus

Still usually called by it's original name 'Navajoa' this plant rare both in collection and in nature. The plants are restricted to a very specific habitat and been small are very hard to locate. They are usually grafted in culture, but with better understanding of their requirements more and more people reporting success in growing the plants on own roots.


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Escobaria vivipara 'kaibabensis'

Escobaria kaibabensis is a smaller form of E.vivipara, a common species found in Arizona, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico. This species does well in culture, blooming reliably in spring or early summer. The picture is taken on the Eastern slopes of Kaibab Plateau.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

Echinocactis polycephalus xeranthemoides

Another species from Navajo Bridge area. These plants are easy to see there, a short walk from the parking. It is also much easier in culture than the more widespread ssp. polycephalus, due to it's habitat been within the summer monsoon zone and longer growth period.


Opuntia basilaris 'longiareolata'

This form of wide spread along the deserts of US South-Western Opuntia basilaris grows near Navajo Bridge, southern Arizona. This is one of the plants from the group with unusual light-colored flowers that I found in that area.


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Mammillaria grahamii

This is the most common Mammillaria in Arizona. It occurs from California To New Mexico and from Mexican border to Phoenix and a bit more North, abundant in many places.


Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Echinocereus apachensis

This hybrid 'species' is very common around Apache Trail - a road just West of Phoenix, AZ. The extreme variability of specimens there is overwhelming. The two specimens in my picture are barely giving a hint of plants diversity encountered there.



Sunday, June 1, 2014

Coryphantha recurvata

A pretty unusual Coryphantha - large plants, slow but forming multi-headed clumps with age. It is mainly Mexican species, occurring in US only very close to the border, South of Tucson, AZ. A very hansom species.


Saturday, May 31, 2014

Opuntia santa-rita

This is one of the prettiest and common in culture Opuntias, but of cause not on windowsill. The name comes from the mountain ridge just South-East of Tucson, AZ, where it can be found on surrounding sandy flats. The plants form low bushes, largest specimens about 5 ft - over 1.5 meters tall.


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Mammillaria thornberi

Mammillaria thornberi is a well known in cultivation smaller Mammillaria with nice larger white flowers. It is mainly Mexican species, occurring in USA along the southern Arizona border. This picture is taken near Tucson where it grows on very sandy soils, in the shade of small trees and bushes.


Friday, May 23, 2014

Echinocereus nicholii

Echinocereus nicholii is clkosely relate to E.engelmannii but easily recognized in Organ Pipe NP where it grows alongside with it. This plant is better responding to conventional in culture than E.engelmannii, as it is a true Sonora desert plant with growth period depending on summer monsoon rains.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Echinocereus engelmannii

A huge plant growing in Anza-Borrego State Park. This form looks somewhat different from common E. engelmannii, but the differences are hard to describe and likely not worth recognition in nomenclature.


Monday, May 19, 2014

Mammillaria dioica

Mammillaria dioica is very common sight in Anza-Borrego state park. This small group is littered with dead ocotillo lives and flowers.


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Cylindropuntia bigelowii

Teddy bear cholla is one of the more interesting looking chollas that you better keep you distance from. It is one of the most hostile cacti ever. Flowers are among the prettiest though.


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Opuntia chlorotica

Opuntia chlorotica is one of the prettier Opuntias, forming low bush or a small tree. Bluish pads with bright yellow spines make a nice contrast. The picture is also from Joshua Tree NP.


Monday, May 12, 2014

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Escobaria alversonii

Here is the smaller specimen of this nice Escobaria in Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree Park is a good place to see this species - it is fairly common if you are in the right area.. The flowering time is late May or June.


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Opuntia basilaris

Large plant growing in Joshua Tree national park. Large plants produce tens of blooms, but flowering is spread over longer period, with only a few flowers open at time. As with most Opuntias, flowers open for two days, closing for the nights.


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Ferocactus cylindraceus

Ferocacti in Anza-Borrego are very variable in size, spines color and length. That usually points to some recent hybridization that happened to this population.


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Sclerocactus blainei

It was a cold day at the end of April, with temperatures just above freezing and snow that fell overnight on the hills above. The  flowers on that young plant only starting to show mature spination stayed closed.


Saturday, May 3, 2014

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Echinocereus sheerii

The form of E.sheerii with very large flower. Very similar flowers has plant known in cultivation as E. polyacanthus 'densus'. Possibly my plants are a smaller form of it.


Friday, April 4, 2014

Echinocerios pectinatus

The species is known for it's show flowers. This is one of the smaller solitary Echinocerei, more common in collections.


Sulcorebutoa oenantha pampagrandensis jk139

This is the larger-growing solitary Sulco, should eventually reach 4 inch diameter - the size of the pot the plant is in. It has nice flowers, as usual.


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Eriosyce subgibbosa

Closeup of a flower of Eriosyce subgibbosa. Another form of that variable species. 



Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Echinocereus mojavensis

Fresh blooms of this great species. This nice form with curling spines comes from Deep Springs valley.


Saturday, March 29, 2014

Echinocereus apachensis

Named after the Apache trail - a road near Phoenix, AZ, where this plant is very common. Echinocereus apachensis is not well-known among the collectors, but very interesting plant, mainly because of it's long spines - usually not longer that 4 inches, but sometimes up to 5 inches long.


Friday, March 28, 2014

Echinocereus viridiflorus

This is one of the most frost-hardy cacti, found as far north as Wyoming. Interesting greenish flower appear in spring, same as most other Echinocerei.


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Mammillaria candida

Another 'classic' Mammillaria, long time been in cultivation. This is usually solitary plant, but there are also freely clumping forms known.


Sunday, March 23, 2014

Rebutia pygmaea 'diersiana'

Rebutia pygmaea flowering time again. I have a group of may be 40 of these small plants sharing the shallow 8-inch pot, today all covered with flowers.


Saturday, March 22, 2014

Epithelantha micromeris

The tiny flowers are about 2-3 mm across, and will set red fruit even without pollinator's intervening.


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