Rare double flowers!

[Steve Johnson]

This Astrophytum capricorne is part of the group that started my current collection in June 2011 -- flowering well since 2012, but singletons up until now:








No wonder I call it my "Queen of the Astrophytums". Long live the Queen!

[DaveW]

Nice Steve, you will probably get more than one flower at a time now the plant is larger. However they are only really single flowers. Now this is a double flower with two styles and stigma's!

double.jpg (108.23 KiB) Viewed 1101 times

You do get freak double flowers occasionally when two separate ones fuse into each other when the bud is forming. Sometimes happens on cristate or monstrose plants, but this plant is normal and all other flowers since have been normal.

[TimN]

Nice plant! Ariocarpus will often produce multiple flowers at the same time. Keep them watered and in the sun!

I don't have this plant anymore, but it was a very nice one. I couldn't find the picture of a plant I had that put out 13 flowers at once.

Cheers!

[Steve Johnson]

You do get freak double flowers occasionally when two separate ones fuse into each other when the bud is forming. Sometimes happens on cristate or monstrose plants, but this plant is normal and all other flowers since have been normal.

Great photo, Dave! The flowers on my A. capricorne should be more accurately described as a "twofer", so we'll go with that.

Nice Steve, you will probably get more than one flower at a time now the plant is larger.

My Astrophytum myriostigma quadricostatum is another 2011 "veteran", and about half of its flower production has been twofers since 2014. Here's the latest round in progress:



You could be on to something, and if you're correct about age being a factor, then I think we'll be seeing more twofers in the capricorne's future.

I don't have this plant anymore, but it was a very nice one.

Thanks for posting that excellent pic. By the way, it's great to see you back on the forum!

[fanaticactus]

I love all these photos! I have to appreciate Astros vicariously. I've killed at least a half dozen of them, so I don't get them anymore.