The "new" Astrophytum (Digitostigma caput-madusae)

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:06 pm

Bill in SC

Franj · Post by **Franj** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:41 pm

Whoa!!!!What the heck is that !!?
Is it really something new? Grafted to what? Pereskiopsis?

Franj

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:48 pm

Relatively new Franj. Yes it is grafted to Pereskiopsis.. Here is a link Daiv dug up. The guy that took lots of pics in this link (Dr. Jurgen Menzel)supplied the seeds to a friend of mine in Miami, who in turn, germinated them and grafted them. I feel very blessed to have received this rare oddity..
http://www.host-no-cost.com/kakteenster ... index.html
Bill in SC

Franj · Post by **Franj** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:57 am

Fantastic! Almost looks like a cross between an Astrophytum and an Ariocarpus agavoides. Or a chimera of some sort. Just when I thought my want list was done you add one more

The strangest thing is the tubercules are smooth and tubular. Not angled like other long tuberculed cacti such as Leuchtenbergia and the Ariocarpus mentioned above. I wonder if any DNA studies have been done yet. It's interesting that they are assigning it to Astrophytum, based on just the flocking and similarity of the flowers. But the growth habit? Like nothing ever seen before!

Thanks for turning me on to another fascinating plant

Franj

mavaz · Post by **mavaz** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:24 am

Hi:

I wonder..Is this legal?..or is the same story that M. luethyi...

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:36 am

I will say that some of the most respected men in the field of C&S are publicly working with this species. Therefore, I am sure that it is indeed legal..

Bill in SC

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:27 am

Very nice and interesting.

Mark

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:34 am

Hi Bill- It might be ethical but illegal. I don't think the plant material is supposed to be out of Mexico. BUT- nice plant! I was reading up some more last night on it and it seems to actually grow better on its own roots, according to one of the botanists from Mexico writing of her plants in cultivation.

Peterb

Plantcelot · Post by **Plantcelot** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:47 am

Very interesting indeed! Is it a baby and will eventually grow its tubercules like a sort of Medusa's tentacles?

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 3:31 am

<Hi>

Hmmmm, might be, I have no clue. It's odd that you can order the seeds online if it is indeed illegal. But heck, you can order opium poppy seeds, marijuana seeds, and many other illegal things online, so maybe that doesn't mean anything. I do know the folks in the article from the provided link are, once again, some of the most respected men in the business. I can't imagine them doing anything illegal. There's too much integrity at stake with these master growers to do something unlawful. There must be a loophole..
Bill in SC

Franj · Post by **Franj** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:52 am

The Mexican government and CITES may have allowed some seed collection. They're doing the same thing with some other rare cacti such as Yavia in Argentina in an effort to prevent the collection of actual plants in the wild. I think it's a good idea.
http://www.bcss.org.uk/yavia.pdf

Franj

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:53 pm

Thanks for the clarification Franj. I knew my cactus growing heros would not be doing anything illegal!

Bill in SC

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:32 pm

No worries on the legality of this one, although there are also illegal ones in circulation. There were two major releases of plants recently, one to California and so leading eventually to this baby, and one to Germany which appeared almost instantly on eBay and ended up who knows where. At this point it has become nearly impossible to distinguish the legals from the illegals but if some guy down the pub offers you a "caput-meduase, mate, no questions asked", you have a right to be suspicious

cactuspolecat · Post by **cactuspolecat** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:33 pm

Bill, this is one plant that has really captivated me, how un-cactus looking can a cactus get? I thought I'd never ask that question again after seeing my first Leuchtenbergia. But since I saw the first pics that Jordie posted way back when, everytime I see it, I'm like a boy looking through the toy shop window... as I dream that one day I'll have one too!

CP

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 3:17 pm

Hi- The good news from several different quarters is that Astrophytum (Digitostigma) caput-medusae is a breeze in cultivation, and rather fast-growing.

Peterb