Succulent identification

If you have a succulent plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
floring
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Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:14 am
Location: Ireland

Succulent identification

Post by floring »

Hello everybody!

I'm new to this forum, and from what I've seen so far it's good information to be had here.
I'm more accustomed to Cacti but I thought I'd grow some Lithops as well. So when I saw some for sale at my local garden shop I thought 'wow, great'. Bought them.
Long story short, I got home and what do you know?! My 'Lithops touffe' turned out to be anything but Lithops.
After many hours of trying to find a match, I settled on three possible species, but I might be wrong about those too. I'm thinking either Dinteranthus microspermus, Tanquana hilmarii or Pleiospilos nelii. What do you guys think?

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They are individual plants, each with it's own root. The soil in the pot was bone dry, which I guess was a good thing. Their roots completely dry as well. I re potted them using a cacti compost mixed with grit and I've been spraying them with water in the morning in an attempt to wake them up. Is that a good idea? It's been 3-4 days of spraying now, with no visible change, at least not to my noob eyes. Should I soak the soil, or just continue with the misting, or..?

I'm a total novice when it comes to succulents so any idea or suggestion will surely help.

Thanks!
iann
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by iann »

They look like baby P. nelii. Just maybe Tanquana but I don't think so. Not Dinteranthus.
--ian
david90531
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by david90531 »

They look like Pleiospilos nelii to me too. A few of them seem to be sunburned or overwatered causing split prior to your purchase. But they should be fine under your care.
david90531
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by david90531 »

Oh sorry didn't see that you asked for watering instructions. I'm quite new to mine too, but I know that if they're regenerating they don't need water at all. And more then half of yours seem to be doing so, so I think they're fine without any. I would leave them dry for another week or two before thinking of giving them a splash.
Mine has been with me for more than two months now and I never watered it once since it was still absorbing the old leaves:
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And after flowering this is what it looked like 2 weeks ago, old leaves are pretty much gone, so I might start watering it soon.
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So this should show you how much you DON'T need to water them, haha.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, Ian #-o
floring
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Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:14 am
Location: Ireland

Re: Succulent identification

Post by floring »

Thanks for the input and the id! I thought they were Dinteranthus, being so thin and elongated rather than fat and bulky but the color didn't quite fit with that. I'll go with P nelii, then!

Thing is I'm a bit confused with the growth cycle of this plant. Isn't it a bit out of sync with the time of the year? Aren't the inner leaves too small for mid August?
I thought they were supposed to appear in late winter, then look like this sometime in spring, then plump up for the summer and dry out the old pair of leaves by September-October. Is that correct? Or is P. nelii supposed to dry out the old pair in winter, like a Lithops would? I found conflicting and vague information on this plant, although it seems to be quite common.
But if they are babies, maybe that they didn't get into their normal growth pattern yet.
Another possibility is that it stopped growing while in the shop, where it was kept in a shaded place/ artificial lighting. Could be.

About the damaged leaves, they don't seem to be split by over watering, I rather think the plants were rough handled and they got the tips scraped against coarse surfaces. Anyway, the scars look to have healed well, they are calloused and dry and the soil and roots were very dry as well.

Great looking flower you got there, by the way!
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greenknight
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by greenknight »

According to these guys, they can adapt to different growing seasons: Cactus-art - Pleiospilos nelii
Spence :mrgreen:
david90531
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by david90531 »

The only thing I'm certain of is that they do NOT have the same growth cycle like Lithops. Their clock is not as strict, as mentioned, they can adapt to different growth cycles and can regenerate, flower at different times of the year. That also means they might need a bit more watering in the winter compared to Lithops. Again, keep an eye on what they're doing and you'll have a better clue on what to do in terms of watering.
Thanks! That picture was actually when flower was closed up at night. Here's a better pic for the flower, one of my first succulent flowers, I was pretty stoked :D
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floring
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Location: Ireland

Re: Succulent identification

Post by floring »

Well, today I was feeling industrious and since I wasn't too satisfied with the cactus soil that I planted them into, I thought I should re pot them for the last time into a mix of sand and perlite and just a dash of that cactus mix. And when I scooped them out I saw that one of them was getting deflated at the bottom, and had that translucent color that precedes death. So yeah, I managed to kill my first succulent, within a week of buying it. Apparently the 4 days of spraying were too much for the little guy. Should be fine under my care, you said? :oops: Good thing I didn't soak the soil like I first intended to.
The rest look fine and reasonably plump (except for the smallest one which is not so firm and seems thirsty) so no more water for the next month or so, at least until I figure out what happens with the new pairs of leaves that are emerging. Autumn and spring seem like good times for watering in general so no matter if they have their internal clock upside down or not, it should be fine, I hope. Or at least safer.
iann
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by iann »

Don't mess them about and then spray them. Let them settle down for a couple of weeks. Then spray. Or water more if it is appropriate. Not such a problem when you have so many, but these green blobs straight from the factory are really prone to rot.
--ian
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1bigfruit
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by 1bigfruit »

P.Nelii for sure the tanquanas dont have such prominent spots.
A Moth is Lighter than the Sea, but Dimmer than the Light it Sees.
floring
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Location: Ireland

Re: Succulent identification

Post by floring »

Many thanks for the id info, guys!
Back again, with some updates.
I've been taking your advice, Iann, and waited for about a month before giving the Neliis any water after replanting them. Then watered them every 2 weeks or so, lightly.
All seemed well, the buds that were already there started growing, and I even got a new one on one of them.
Then a couple of days back I noticed this:

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Is it rotting, or just losing old leaves? They are turning to mush, but as far as I can see the bud in the centre is not affected by this (yet). It looks over watered but last time I watered them was on Nov 4th, I know for a fact :) And it was more like a splash, never drenched them.

Mostly dull days here, temperatures around 19C during day time, 15C at night. Except a few days back when I had a problem with the heater and it dropped to around 11-12 at night. I'm pretty sure it's never been lower than 10C though. Could this be the reason?
KittieKAT
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by KittieKAT »

It doesn't look good.... they are regenerating their leaves, don't water them till the leaves have all been dried up like Paper skins at the bottom of the new regenerated plant. If it is rott u should remove the rotten leaves to insure it doesn't spread to the new leaves, but since it won't getthe nutrients from its old leaves it will prob look a little Skinner then they others. These are the type of plants you just water once or twice and leave them be...Goodluck someone will chime in If im wrong or ad to what i said
KittieKAT
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by KittieKAT »

These kinda plants aren't really my thing lol
floring
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Location: Ireland

Re: Succulent identification

Post by floring »

Yeah, it definitely didn't look good and now it's gotten even worst. I think it may be a goner. The core of the plant is mush now (although strangely enough the tips are still holding on), and I can't tell where the mush ends and the inner leaves begin. So I can't really get into surgery to remove the dead tissue. I'm afraid the patient may not survive the operation :)
I've upped the temperature and not much really I can do but wait and see what happens. But it doesn't look like the bud is benefiting at all from the demise of the mature leaves. Definitely no more water for that pot for a couple of months.
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snarfie
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Re: Succulent identification

Post by snarfie »

Looks like the plant with rot in the photo already was a goner at that time, because the rot started almost in the middle
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