Rescued Cactus Needs ID

[CactusHoosier]

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It has been over 25 years since I last collected cacti, but a month ago I found this beauty among a group of plants left outdoors by a restaurant. The temperature was beginning to dip below freezing, and I knew that this cactus would not survive the winter where it was. I asked the owner of the restaurant if he would sell it to me, but he gave it to me instead. Best I can figure is that it is an Echinopsis (eyriesii?). It bloomed during the fall, but all I saw was the withered stalk of about 2". The plant is 7" wide and 8" tall. It is spineless, but a 2" pup at the base does have small spines. Currently I have it in my basement around 50-55 deg F with little light or water. I intend to transplant it (and return the pot) in the spring. Any thoughts regarding this beauty or confirmations? Thanks. Steve

[vlani]

oxigona or a hybrid, if the flower is large or unusually colored.

[CactusHoosier]

Thank you. I'm researching the oxigona now. My problem is the lack of spines on my plant. The pictures of the oxigona that I have seen all have spines. But, then, so do some of the eyriesii photos. How is it that mature plants of the same species(?) can both have and not have spines? Steve

[DaveW]

Yes it varies in habitat from spiny to almost spineless plants with white to pink flowers, often within a few feet of each other in the population. They were brought back to Europe and given different names because the botanists in those days did not realise they were just variants within the same population. Unfortunately we get used to selected clones in cultivation as being typical of the species, whereas in the wild a species may show a great deal of variation within the same population.

There is an article on your Echinopsis in the free downloadable Journal Cactus Explorer 8, page 27 - 34. I think it's called "Grany's Echinopsis" from what I remember:-

http://www.cactusexplorers.org.uk/journal1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The file size of No.8 is about 13MByte so be patient while it downloads."

[CactusHoosier]

Absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for your help and now also a wonderful journal site. After seeing this cactus outside the restaurant, I remembered how much I loved these plants so much many years ago. There's something about them that makes them irresistible. Steve

[DaveW]

If you look in the "Books and References" section you will find more free downloadable Journals listed like Xerophilia, Schuetziana etc, I have dozens of e-books and journals saved on my computer to save keep downloading them. You may also like the online blogs like Paul Klaassen's Cactus Trip Diaries, see listings for other dates and trips down the right hand column:-

http://pkcactus.info/1999/05/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you are not bothered about the language and just want to see good pictures of cacti in habitat, this site is good. The Latin botanical names on the pictures are the same in any language and so are pictures anyway. There are more links to his other trips at the top of the link:-

http://www.kaktusymeksyku.pl/13.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CactusHoosier]

Thank you! I have already downloaded all of the Cactus Explorer journals and am going through many other sites now. There is so much information available, information that I did not have access to when I was previously interested in cacti. Steve

[7george]

Transplanting is a good idea for any newly acquired cactus. And it should better stay dry until the spring or seeing sun every day while in the basement.

[CactusHoosier]

Well, it will be hard enough to get adequate sun in the middle of the summer since I live in the woods. But for right now I am keeping it out of light as much as possible, withholding water, and in the basement with 50-55 Deg F temps. I don't know anything better except perhaps misting it from time to time. I sure don't want it growing when there isn't enough light. So I thought I would transplant it in April and slowly acclimate it to the light before setting it outside. Any suggestions would be welcome. Steve